Issue 4

Wombats FEATURE!
Tawny Frogmouths FEATURE!

Wombat joey
Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
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Contents
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Contact us
www.wildliferescuemagazine.com
June 2012 v1n4
www.outdoorcameras.com.au
The theme of this conference is
Continuous Improvement
Planning for the 2012 Australian Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference continues on track to provide
conference attendees with the ultimate North Queensland experience of fellowship establishment
and connection in the winter sunshine.
It should be noted that the programme is subject to change due to circumstances beyond our control. In such an event we will revise the programme at the earliest opportunity.
For more information www.2012awrc.org.au Email info@2012awrc.org.au
Monday 16th July 2012
17:0019:00 Registration Desk Open
18:0020:00 Cocktail Party - Drinks and Finger Food, Informal
Tuesday 17th July 2012
7:308:30 Registration Desk and Trade Tables open
8:308:45 Housekeeping and Opening Presentation
Audio Visual Presentation by Steve Amesbury
8:459:20 Key Note Speaker (To be advised)
Presentation to be advised
9:209:55 Dr Anne Fowler
Keeping Them Healthy in Captivity - Concepts in
Quarantine for Wildlife Care
9:5510:30 Dr Sarah Brett
Two Reptile Case Studies
10:3010:55 Morning Tea
Trade Tables Open - Refreshments available in Foyer
10:5511:30 Dr Chris Rafferty and Dr Carlo Pacioni
Conservation of Endangered Woylies
11:3012:05 Ruth Lewis
Conservation and Protection of Koala Habitat
12:0512:30 Dr Derek Spielman
Efficacy of 5 in 1 Vaccine in Macropods
12:3013:30 Lunch - Walk outside to various restaurants in groups
13:3014:05 Dr Jim Pollock & Jenelle Gay
C & S Studies Dermatitis Common Brushtail Possums
in Townsville
14:0514:40 Gordon Rich
Nutritional Requirements of Juvenile Marsupials
14:4015:15 June Butcher
Continuous Improvement - From Mining to Mental
Health
15:1515:40 Afternoon Tea
15:4016:15 Marg Peachey
Psittacine Beak and Feather Disease
16:1516:50 Brigette Sharp
Impacts of Habitat Fragmentation in an Urban
Environment
16:5017:20 Two 15 minute sessions
QWRC and NSW State Council
Day 1 Close Free Evening
19:30 State CouncilsNational Body Discussion - for those
interested
Wednesday 18th July 2012
8:308:45 Housekeeping and Slide/Video Presentation
8:459:20 Professor Steve Garlick
The Emotional Lives of Kangaroos: Rehabilitation,
Science and the Environment
9:209:55 Dr Janice Lloyd and Dr Ellen Ariel
Environmental Enrichment for Sea Turtles in
Rehabilitation
9:5510:30 Professor John D Orbell
Towards a Rational choice of Pre-treatment Agents
for the Cleansing of Oiled Wildlife
10:5511:30 Simon Watharrow
Reptile Rescue and Rehabilitation
11:3012:00 Jo Neyens and Sarah Hirst
Survival Study Northern Territory Possums
12:0012:40 (AIMS Field trip early bus at 12:40)
AFTERNOON FIELD TRIPS AND WORKSHOPS
Thursday 19th July 2012
8:308:45 Housekeeping and Slide/Video Presentation
8:459:20 Dr Derek Spielman
Necrotising Syndrome in Ringtail Possums
9:209:55 Tania Duratovic
Natural Disasters in Australia - Are Animals
Considered
9:5510:30 Jacqui Marlow and Eira Battaglia
Road Kill and its Prevention
10:5511:30 Dianne Hunter
Oblong Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation
11:3012:05 Dr Anne Fowler
Nutrition and Food Preparation for Wildlife
12:0512:30 TBA
Recycling the Dead: Taxidermy for Museums
13:3014:05 Adriana Simmonds
Wildlife Conservation and Community Education
14:0514:40 Dr Rosemary Austen and Professor Steve Garlick
Rescuing and Treating Macropod Fence Injuries
14:4015:15 Greg Gordon
Strategies to Deal With Emotional Trauma
15:1515:40 Afternoon Tea
15:4016:15 Professor Catherine Herbert
16:1518:30 Free - Room to be set for dinner
18:30for 19:00 Dinner
Guest Dinner Speaker - John Young
100 of My Favourite Images
Trivial Trivia - Prizes
The Role of Long Acting Contraceptive Implants to
Manage Highly Valued Marsupials in Australia
2012 Australian Wildlife Rehabilitation Conference Programme
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
TASMANI A
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuarys passion and work centres around helping our native wildlife survive.
We thrive on educating as many people as possible about how we can all help save, rehabilitate and
release injured animals. All of Bonorongs residents undergo meticulous assessments to ensure they
are healthy and happy in our care.
Are you passionate
about wildlife?
Would you like to become a wildlife rescuer?
Central to our work is Bonorongs volunteer FOC Wildlife Program.
(Friends of Carers, Friends of Critters, Free of Charge.)
This is Tasmanias first community run wildlife assistance service,
designed to help our devoted volunteer carers and the many native
animals in need. We are always looking for new volunteers to help
nurse our wildlife back to health.
Once trained for Bonorongs FOC program, participants can register
to become part of Bonorongs rescue team, spread across Hobart
and beyond so that when Bonorong receives a call about an injured
creature on its wildlife hotline can look through the database of
rescuers and find the closest person to the incident.
Being a rescuer is very non-invasive. When an animal is reported
orphaned or injured a group text is sent to all the volunteers in that
area and people can choose to do the rescue or ignore it
if they are busy.
From that point animals are either taken to a vet or cared for by the
rescuer for less than 24 hours, while Greg arranges for their transport
to Bonorong where they are assigned to another group of local
heroes, the wildlife carers!
Find out more at
www.bonorong.com.au/foc_program.html
Come and experience the
ultimate Tasmanian wildlife
evening!
The ULTIMATE experience for any wildlife lover who
thrives on the up close and personal experience!
This two and a half hour fully guided feeding tour of the
park has been a massive success this year and has
received the most incredible feedback. You will be inside
the enclosures with animals such as
tawny frogmouths, golden possum,
wombats, bettongs, sugar gliders and
many more.
Hand feed a Tasmanian devil!
Most of our animals in
Tasmania are
nocturnal or awake
at dusk and dawn. We time
your exclusive tour to catch perfect
viewing of all the animals. All across the
park animals emerge from their daytime
slumber and reclaim the night.
Find out more at
www.bonorong.com.au/night_tours.html
Wildlife Rescue Magazine
Publisher/Advertising 0413 587 613
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Wildlife Rescue Magazine is published six times per year.
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Phone: 0413 587 613
Website: www.wildliferescuemagazine.com
Editor andrea@wildliferescuemagazine.com
Andrea Devos
Production
Artizen Image Design, Brisbane, Queensland
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Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com June 2012 v1n4 Page 6
Publishers words
Andrea Devos
Welcome to our
rst ever 'Wildlife
Rescue Magazine' -
YES - The renaming
of our 'Tas Wildlife
Rescue' Magazine
begins with this issue
- Wow!! What an
inaugural Issue this is and it is so
packed with great articles and stories,
we start off with: Wombats!
Wombats! Wombats!
This issue is packed full of
Wombat information - Rescue,
Rehabilitation and Release is what we
meant to bring you for this issue -
however - we couldn't t the Release
section in. This Issue has hit OVER
150 pages - so in our Next Issue of
No. 5 - we will be having a section on
- the Successful Release of the
Wombat - we welcome any pictures
you would like to provide of your own
soft release enclosures... send them to:
info@wildliferescuemagazine.com
We know you will enjoy our
feature on the 'Tawny Frogmouth'.
We are doing a three part series
over the coming months on 'Infra Red
Cameras in the Field' - send us your
own experiences with an outdoor
monitoring camera, please include a
picture, this always makes the story
that more interesting. Send us your
pics and stories to
andrea@wildliferescuemagazine.com
We bring you a new segment
called: 'The DIY Guy' - brought to
you by Glen Burston of Burston Blue
Silicon Teats and as always we have
our great Vet - Colette Harmsen
answering once again your vet
questions - if you have a question -
send it through to us and we will send
it on to her to be answered.
We have 5 great wildlife rescue
stories - vote for your favourite one by
sending us an email.
Last issue we had the signed book
called 'Camp Croc' by Trudie Trewin -
the winner was ' Terri Eather'
Congratulations!
Many thanks to author Jill Morris
and Greater Glider productions for
the fabulous books we have been able
to offer as prizes in this issue of our
magazine.
We hope you enjoy our Fourth
Issue of Wildlife Rescue Magazine -
our magazine is now being
downloaded over 55,000 times.
Harry the Hairy-Nosed Wombat
and other Australian Animal Tales
Jill Morris along with Greater Glider Publications
bring you this beautiful 42 page full colour book, beautifully illustrated by Tina Wilson.
Meet Harry the hairy-nosed wombat, Rufus the Red Kangaroo, Bobuck the Mountain Possum, Kolo the Bush
Koala, Percy the Peaceful Platypus and Rusty the Nimble Numbat. To receive a FREE copy of this book email
us a wildlife rescue story complete with pictures to andrea@wildliferescuemagazine.com and if chosen you will
receive a beautiful copy of this wonderful childrens book.
Contents
12 Shelby pouch
reconstruction
Hanna Marco
COVER STORY
17 The wombat
Andrea Devos
COVER STORY
85 The tawny
frogmouth
Andrea Devos
PART ONE
69 Motion activated
infrared cameras
Andrea Devos
PHOTO ESSAY
112 Welcome to East
Coast Natureworld
Andrea Devos
57 Little Girls story
Helen Hutchards
66 Wattle and her
wayward son
Watson
Sandi Kogtevs
82 A baby koala named
Joey
Terri Eather
107 Have you seen my
transmitter
Dr Sarah Brett
Feature stories Readers stories Articles
Regulars
59 Funnies
60 The D.I.Y Guy
Building a large
enclosure
Glen Burston
65 Ask Colette the Vet
80 Foxes: a serious threat to our
wildife and Tasmanian
enterprises DPIPWE
Trowunna Wildlife Park
Trowunna has been conserving and rehabilitating native Tasmanian wildlife since 1979 and we have successfully rehabilitated
countless orphaned native wildlife such as wombats, Tasmanian devils, quolls and a variety of birds to name a few.
Trowunna has been operating successful breeding programs, specifically Tasmanian Devils and quolls for over the past 25 years.
Trowunnas Devil population is of highest priority due to the breeding success since 1985 and is recognised as one of the longest
continuous breeding programs of any species in the world under studbook conditions.
1892 Mole Creek Road, Mole Creek, Tasmania 7304 Telephone: +61 3 6363 6162 Fax: +61 3 6367 6213 E-mail: info@trowunna.com.au
Traditional Greeting Cards
C1094 twilight butterfly
C1115 Superb Fairy Wren
C1213 thank you butterfly
C0846 Splendid Wren
C1125 mystic owl
C1214 Susans owl
C0910 Aussie birds
C1162 exquisite dragonfly
C1219 Julies ladybeetles
C1017 Monarch butterfly
C1201 pretty butterflies
C1281 hummingbird
C1054 Moonglow butterfly C1055 rich oriental C1070 pretty owl
C1212 butterflies
C0835 Big Red
Support your local Wildlife and
their Carers by purchasing these
beautiful Wildlife Cards
(folded size = 115mm x 170mm).
All our cards are printed on
high quality 290gsm card with a
UV gloss coating.
Free
Delivery
Australia
Wide
$
1
50
EACH
5 for $6.00
CLICK HERE TO ORDER TODAY!
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SOLD OUT
Burston Blue Teats
Teat Size and Description Price
Mini suits 1-3mL syringes $ 1.00
Medium Mini suits 5mL syringes $ 1.00
Large Mini suits 10mL syringes $ 1.50
Xtra Large Mini suits 20mL syringes Oset $ 2.00
A Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50
B Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50
B Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00
C Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50
E Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00
F Teat 3 Coats $ 5.00
2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only
#1 Teat 2 Coats $ 3.50
2 Coats are suitable for Young Animals Only
Comforts
Small $ 3.00
Medium $ 4.00
Large $ 5.00
Comforts Extra Sof
Small $ 3.00
Medium $ 4.00
Large $ 5.00
Up to 5 $1.70
5-10 $2.30
10-15 $2.80
Over 15 $2.80
Bulk Lots Please Ask for Rate
Postage
ORDER FORM
1 Kangaroo Pinkie and Wallaby
2 Kangaroo over 1.5kg and larger
Wallabies
3 Kangaroo 3kg to 5kg
4 Kangaroo 5kg to 10kg
5 Kangaroo 10kg to weaning.
A Flying Fox's less than 10 days
B Flying Fox's to weaning
C Unfurred Possums, Bandicoots,
Antechinus and Small Mammals
E Small Koalas and Wombats
F Larger Unweaned Koalas and
Wombats
Mini Teats suitable for tiny pinkies,
bandicoot, wallaby and numbats
Mini Teats
Teats A-B Teat C Teats E-F
Comfort Teats Teats 1-5
Payment by direct deposit please.
Either online, or you can go into your own bank and ask them to do it for you.
Note: Direct deposit can take up to three days to reach our account.
Orders are Usually 7-10 Days.
Account Name: GJ + JM Burston
Commonwealth Bank
BSB: 066179
Account No: 10173533
In Reference: Please put your Name.
Email: dollar.downs@bigpond.com
Inquiries to Jo: 0409 086973
RMB 161 Perup Road Manjimup W.A. 6258
About the Artist...
Mel Hills is a locally grown artist who grew up in Orford and went
to school at Triabunna. She has persistently lurked about the
East Coast ever since.
Mel specialises in wildlife art, scientific illustration and
watercolour landscapes. Murals are also a sideline.
A need to explore, discover and understand led Mel to link
studies in both art and science. She says For me there is no
boundary between the two disciplines; both require observation,
analysis and experimentation. Theyre very complementary.
The Inspiration
I love to share my joy in the landscape and the wonders that
surround us. I get a bit caught up in the detail of pieces
sometimes, wanting to get it just right. I love the challenge of
trying to capture the essence of something and show that to
others.
Im just a kid who likes to say hey, look at how cool THIS is all
the time.
The Creation
Mels' favourite tools are her sketchbook, camera and her
microscope. (Although the microscope is a little less portable.)
Of her images she says, Each image comes together
differently. Some are achieved on the spot, when I have a close
encounter with a creature that captures my attention. My
landscapes are increasingly influenced by the plein-air
sketching I love to do. Generally though, things are a little
slower. Often I have an idea for an image and it will take me
months or years to gather enough information to create the
painting.
I do a lot of field sketching, where I gather information about
habits and behaviours.
I also take lots of photos and use museum specimens to ensure
details are correct. Once I have all the information, the finished
image is roughed out and then built up in successive layers in
order to get the complexity, depth and detail required.
Whats next?
In the future Id love to explore a total landscape more fully. It
would be fun to do an Antarctic study, or study an island such
as Macquarie, or Maatsuyker in all weathers, with all their
occupants. Exploring the Desert and the Kimberley are also
ideas that have been growing in my mind for some years. Then
there are also those bugs I keep drawing, I might have to do
something with them..
For more information about Mel, her product range or to just
check out some images please visit her web site:
www.melhillswildart.com.au
Shelby the squirrel glider. Photo by BatReach
Hanna Marco
Shelby pouch reconstruction
A
t BatReach we deal with a wide
range of arboreal wildlife and
are no stranger to the perils of
barbed wire and we werent surprised
when we got a call from our local vet
about a glider that had been found
hanging on barbed wire near Lotus
Glen.
They asked if we would be able to
take it. Of course we can, I said, so
Pam went to pick it up and she
identied it as an adult female squirrel
glider and unfortunately she had
ripped her pouch but had luckily not
received any other injury.
Often when caught on barbed
wire an animal will stress and try to
release itself by biting at the wire,
causing damage to the mouth and face,
often resulting in the animal having to
be put down.
Usually when an animal is caught
on barbed wire, it is safer to cut the
wire and take it, and the animal, to an
experienced wildlife carer or vet for
proper removal. It is quite likely more
damage will be done by taking the
animal off the barbed wire without the
proper guidance.
After Pam and the vet inspected
the damage, the vet offered to perform
a pouch reconstruction surgery
because, she said, she was so beautiful
and wanted to see her have the best
chance at rehabilitation and release.
Pam brought her back here to
BatReach and ran a seven day course
of Baytril, 0.05mls twice a day, as well
as daily pouch cleaning to prevent
infection prior to her surgery. Kept
conned in a large shade-cloth
hospital box, Shelby was supplement
fed nectar mix and a captive glider diet
of fruit, rolled oats, seeds and nuts,
while being provided with native foods
like owers, gum leaves, bark and
insects.
After we nished the course of
antibiotics, much of the redness and
pain was gone from the pouch; we
called the vet and booked her in for
her surgery.
We checked her into the vet rst
thing and picked her up that evening;
the operation was performed by two
vets and both were condent it had
gone well. They estimated a two
month rehabilitation to allow for
healing to ensure that the pouch
opening was big enough and that the
elasticity of the skin was still good
enough to allow her to breed in the
wild.
It was a worrying process, with the
chance that the pouch opening would
be too small once healed, and
requiring a second surgery to make it
bigger, which would have been more
stress for her.
After another course of antibiotics
followed her surgery, and named
Shelby, she became active and eager to
out of her hospital box, it was great to
see her feeling so much better! Moved
into an outdoor aviary with pots full of
native foods, she came on leaps and
bounds.
After the advised two months, we
returned Shelby to the vet for her nal
check-up and she was given the all
clear.
Not wanting to keep her from the
wild any longer, we arranged her soft-
release that afternoon with a carer at
Mt Malloy, who has a large property
with the perfect habitat for squirrel
gliders and no barbed wire!
Two days later Shelby was driven
up to Mt Malloy by one of our
Shelby during surgery. Photo by BatReach Shelby during surgery. Photo by BatReach
Shelby during surgery. Photo by BatReach Shelby after surgery. Photo by BatReach
volunteers and was introduced to her
soft release aviary, because she came in
as an adult there was no need for an
extended time in the aviary and two
days later, the door was opened and
she was gone.
Since then, Shelby has been
spotted several times in the trees
around the property, happy and free.
We have had many cases, happy
and sad, of animals caught on barbed
wire. It effects bats, gliders, birds and
some ground dwelling animals.
To help save wildlife from often
fatal or just plain painful injuries and
long term rehabilitation, replace your
barbed wire fencing for Wildlife
Friendly Fencing, or visit our
BatReach website.
Wildlife Friendly Fencing
http://www.wildlifefriendlyfencing.com
Batreach Website
http://www.batreach.com/
Fresh items (30g per animal):
Apple, Pear, Banana, Tomato, Grape,
Corn (off cob), Avocado, spinach
leaves.
Dry items: Small pinch of
Sunower/Pumpkin seeds, 1 almond,
2 raisins and a pinch of rolled oats.
Supplement powder
(once/twice weekly) on food:
Balance Cal or High Protein Powder.
Native foods: Grevillia,
Bottlebrush, Bloodwood, Golden
Penda, Melaluca or other owering
gum and a mix of fresh eucalypt
leaves.
Meal worms can be used to
supplement Squirrel Gliders, but
with consideration to high fat content
and addictiveness.
Our nectar mix recipe, suitable
for adult sugar and squirrel gliders
(per animal):
2 teaspoons of Wombaroo
Nectar Mix or alternatively you can
use honey or maple syrup
teaspoon of Wombaroo
Insectivore Mix
teaspoon of Wombaroo High
Protein Powder
Pinch of Balance Calcium
Our captive diet for sugar and
squirrel gliders:
V
O
T
E
Did you love this story go to page
104 to vote for your favourite story.
The winner will receive a wonderful
book called 'The Wombat Who Talked
To The Stars' by Jill Morris

The La Trobe Wildlife
Sanctuary has been researching
and building nesting boxes for
over 15 years. Our 12 different
designs cater for many species
including Parrots, Ducks,
Kookaburras, Pardalotes and
Sugar Gliders.
Made from environmentally
responsible materials, our boxes
have been expertly designed for
specific animals, discouraging
pests like Starlings, Indian Mynahs and Feral Bees.
All our boxes are easy to install.
To see the full range contact us for a brochure or
visit our web site.

Contact:
The La Trobe Wildlife Sanctuary
La Trobe University - Melbourne Campus
Ph : (03) 9479 1206
nestboxes@latrobe.edu.au
www.latrobe.edu.au/wildlife

Nesting Boxes for
Birds & Mammals
Annie and Wilma
CLICK HERE to see more!
www.ozwildart.com
Elizabeth Cogley
Australian Wildlife Artist
A Kanga
A Day
A Kanga a Day - Day 1126
March 2012:
Perpetually playful Pearl perfunctorily ponders
perfectly placid pond.
Photo by Bret Clifon
RECEIVE DAILY PICS AND STORIES LIKE THIS ONE
Sign up to receive a free daily picture of Brett Cliftons beautiful Eastern
Grey Kangaroos also known as Forester Kangaroos in Tasmania.
Email to brett@brettclifton.com
Northern Hairy Nosed
Wombat
T
he Northern Hairy Nosed
Wombat (also known as the
Yaminon) is one of the rarest
mammals in the world and is now
considered to be critically endangered.
Largest of the three wombats, the
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat can
weigh up to 40kg and be more than 1
metre long.
Its physique is strong and heavily
built with short, stubby but powerful
legs and strong claws. It has a broad
head with black patches around its
eyes. The female is a little bit bigger
than the male because they have an
extra layer of fat.
The Northern Hairy Nosed
Wombat is unique in that it is able to
breed faster than the common
wombat, being able to produce two
young every three years. They tend to
give birth to a young during the wet
season which is around November to
April.
Compared to the Common
Wombat the Northern Hairy Nosed
Wombat has softer fur, their ears are
longer and slightly pointed with tufts
of white hair on the edges and they
There are three species of wombats in the Vombatidae family
Andrea Devos
The wombat
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat. Photo by Shirley Lack
Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat.
Photo by Claira Batton-Smith
Common Wombat. Photo by Wayne White
The Wombat - Vombatus ursinus
Meaning bear-like wombat
There are three species of wombats in the
Vombatidae family:
The Bare Nosed Wombat
(Vombatus ursinus meaning wombat-like, bear-like)
The Southern Hairy Nosed wombat
(Lasiorhinus latifrons meaning hairy-nosed,
broad-fronted or broad-forehead)
The Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat
(Lasiorhinus krefftii meaning hairy-nosed).
have a broader muzzle fringed with
ne, short, brown hairs called
whiskers. Their noses are very
important for their daily survival
because they have very poor eyesight.
They mainly rely on their sense of
smell.
They are shy animals, that's why
most of the time they are solitary and
only go out during night time, but
there are times and instances when
they share burrows with other
wombats.
Wombat previously lived in three
States of Australia:
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombat Photographed by Alan Horsup
Victoria (only recently fossils have
been found to support this),
New South Wales the
Deniliquin area in southern NSW,
Queensland - the Moonie River
area in Southern Queensland and
also in Epping Forest National
Park.
Sadly, it is extinct naturally, except
in one park which has semi-arid
woodland and grassland on sandy soil -
the Epping Forest National Park
along the Belyando river system which
runs through the park. (The park is
about 200km north-east of Barcaldine
in Central Queensland.) Their range
covers 300ha of 3160ha - less than one
tenth of the park.
Current population of the
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombat is
estimated at only 90 animals, all
individuals alive today are known to
eventuate from a single location. Only
25 breeding females are believed to
exist.
A SECOND POPULATION
On the 27 November 2008, 12
Northern hairy-nosed Wombats were
transported to a privately owned
Nature Refuge (Richard Underwood
Nature refuge). Ed and Gabi
Underwood the owners of Yarran
Downs entered in a nature refuge
agreement over the part of their
property where the wombats have
been reintroduced, about 105 hectares
of eucalypt woodland on old river
levees.
As of March 2011, there are 11
Northern Hairy-nosed Wombats at
Richard Underwood Nature Refuge -
Four joeys have since been born at the
refuge since established in 2009 all
joeys are still in mothers pouches.
Follow their progress in the
Wombat Diaries
http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-
ecosystems/wildlife/threatened_plants
_and_animals/endangered/northern_h
airynosed_wombat/wombat-diary.html
HOW VOLUNTEERS CAN
HELP?
In the years 2000 and 2001,
The only wild colony of Northern Hairy
Nosed Wombats left in Australia.
dingoes eliminated 10 adults (10% of
the population) and so in 2002 a 20km
predator fence (dingo-proof fence) was
built and encompasses all wombat
habitat in Epping Forest National
Park.
Wombat competes for food with the
Eastern Grey Kangaroo, feed and
water stations are now being used by
wombats, particularly in dry times.
A volunteer caretaker program
ensures twice daily monitoring of the
dingo fence. Three censuses each year
minimize disturbance and maximize
the accuracy of the result and involve
collecting wombat hair on sticky tape
to extract DNA. There are no
Northern Hairy Nosed Wombats in
captivity.
Southern Hairy Nosed
Wombat
The Southern Hairy Nosed
Wombat is endemic to Australia,
where it is largely distributed in
Southern South Australia, west of the
Murray River, and patchily distributed
on the York Peninsula and Eyre
Peninsula; also present across the
Nullarbor Plain into Western
Australia. There are two known
colonies in New South Wales.
It is abundant on the Nullarbor
Plain, where there are estimates of
between 50,000 and 100,000 in the
South Australia portion.
There are no population estimates
for the Western Australia portion of
the Nullarbor Plain. Throughout
South Australia there is believed to be
a solid population. In the Murray
Lands, there seem to be 10,000-15,000
individuals, but the population has
declined by 70% since 2002, probably
due to sarcoptic mange and drought.
The Gawler Ranges (SA) hold
about 10,000 individuals (but this
estimate is about 25 years old).
Elliston (SA) holds approximately
3,000 individuals.
Kellidie Bay Conservation Park
(SA) contains about 100, Wedge Island
has about 100 (introduced), there are
about 100-1,000 estimated in Lake
Everard (The Range, SA).
York and Eyre Peninsulas in SA
have small populations throughout the
area. In Remnant York Peninsula
Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat. Photo courtesy Western Plains Zoo
Photo courtesy DERM
Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat juvenile
in care notice how shiny and uffy her
fur is. Photo courtesy DERM
populations include: Wool Bay (SA)
with about 100 individuals, Port
Victoria (SA) has about 400, Urania
(SA) has about 200 and there are about
50-100 within the small area of
Kadina(SA).
Wombat is threatened by competition
for grazing by domestic stock and
introduced rabbits.
Sarcoptic Mange is now a major
threat in the Murray Lands to the east;
it kills 80-90 percent of affected
populations/groups. Drought is
another threat, especially for successful
reproduction. (In drought years
reproduction may cease and three
consecutive years of ample rainfall are
needed for there to be an increase in a
population.)
Animals live in colonies within
extensive burrow systems. Each
warren contains several animals. The
Photo courtesy DERM
Southern Hairey Nosed Wombat joey in
care. Photo courtesy DERM
species is long lived (living more than
15 years in the wild).
Wombat weighs between 19-38kg and
is up to approximately 900mm in
length.
THE BARE NOSED WOMBAT
also called the common wombat
Wombats are grazing marsupials,
and are among the worlds largest
herbivorous burrowers known as the
hobbits of the Australian bush, they
are considered as one of the most
mysterious of Australias marsupials as
much of their lives are spent
underground in their burrows (up to
16 hours daily).
Southern Hairy Nosed baby. Photo by Wayne White
Wombats appear to be slow and
cumbersome creatures that plod along
while grazing their favourite harsh
native grasses. However, they can
reach lightening speed if needed and
have been known to reach speeds of up
to 40 kilometres per hour - they can
hold this speed for approximately 150
metres. (Only a handful of men can
hold 36 kilometres per hour over a 100
metre distance.)
There are three subspecies of the
common wombat:
Vombatus ursinus ursinus
(Flinders Island wombat subspecies
only found on Flinders Island).
Vombatus ursinus hirsutus
(mainland bare-nosed or common
wombat subspecies).
Vombatus ursinus tasmaniensis
(Tasmanian wombat subspecies).
The Bare Nosed Wombat
Vombatus ursinus hirsutus is located in
the south-eastern areas of the
mainland within the states of New
South Wales, Victoria and in a tiny
area at the very south-eastern corner
of Queensland and in the south-
eastern corner of South Australia.
Subspecies Vombatus ursinus
ursinus can be found on Flinders
Island.
Subspecies Vombatus ursinus
tasmaniensis is located only within
Tasmania.
Their robust build, blunt head,
short limbs and strong spade-like
The Bare Nosed Wombat seen here eating rocks for their digestive system. Photo by Wombat Protection Society of Australia
A joey in a burrow. Photo by Wombat Protection Society of Australia
claws make them powerful earth-
movers.
The main habitat for the Bare
Nosed Wombat is forest covered and
often in mountainous areas that are
suitable for burrowing. There must be
access to clearings with native grasses
for grazing. It requires a temperate,
humid micro-environment.
In New South Wales and
Queensland the Bare Nosed Wombat
occurs mainly in sclerophyll forests,
however with increased logging and
farming activity wombats can also be
found living in pine plantations and
grazing land.
In South Australia and Tasmania
the Bare Nosed Wombat can be found
in more open vegetation including
coastal scrub, woodlands and heath
lands.
The Bare Nosed Wombat is a
herbivore feeding mainly on native
grass, herbivorous plants and the roots
and bulbs of shrubs or trees. It also
eats bark from native trees and a
considerable amount of dirt.
Favoured native grasses include
kangaroo grass, tussock, wallaby grass
and spear grass. Introduced grasses are
also eaten.
The Bare Nosed Wombat is
essentially solitary, however home
ranges do overlap and burrows can
often be shared, although rarely
simultaneously.
Bare Nosed Wombats are known
Habitat of the Bare Nosed Wombat Cradle Mountain Tasmania. Photo by Andrea Devos
to aggressively defend their territory
against intruding wombats.
A Bare Nosed Wombat joey is an
endearing animal. Because of the
strong bond an orphaned joey will
have with its human mum many
people wrongfully believe that a
wombat would make an ideal pet.
However, Bare Nosed Wombats
are particularly destructive animals
and most have strong and wilful
characters.
While the joey is young this
behaviour can seem cute and is easy to
handle in such a small bundle,
however when the wombat grows the
stubborn streak and aggressive nature
tends to grow with it and it can
become nearly impossible to handle!
Adult wombats are very aggressive
and will not hesitate to attack an
intruder if they feel that they are
threatened. Signs of an angry wombat
that may be ready for attack are loud
vocalisations (screams), teeth gnashing
and ears down. If you meet a wombat
in this state run very fast in the other
direction!
The wombat has short stumpy
looking legs and small paws with eshy
pads. It is classied as a plantigrade
which is an animal that walks on the
whole surface of their feet. Their at
footed soles are very much suited to
the normal activities of standing
around eating grass or digging.
Wombats rarely reach high speeds
Wombat attacking a boot. Photo by Linda Dennis
A human boot left behind ripped to shreds the culprit yes that lovely not-so-cuddly wombat. Photo by Andrea Devos
A wombat burrow with a ripped boot at entrance. Photo by Andrea Devos
Inside a wombat burrow entrance. Photo by Andrea Devos
Front paw of a baby wombat the eshy pads show how healthy the baby wombat is.
The wombat has at feet. Photo by Wayne White
Back paw of a very little joey wombat. Photo by Wayne White Back paw of a baby wombat notice the long sharp claws. Photo by Wayne White
Front paw with huge digging claws. Photo by Wayne White
so dont have the high balled foot pads
such as canines. The front paws look
similar to a dogs paw but are quite
broader; ideal for digging. The hind
paws are longer and built to shovel dirt
away as the front paws dig.
The Bare Nosed Wombat has one
set of upper and lower incisors that
form the cutting edge. The lower
incisors are forward pointing with
chisel shaped ends.
There is one set of pre-molars top
and bottom and four sets of enlarged
molars (top and bottom) which enable
the wombat to nely grind food. The
molars have enamel on one side only,
the side without enamel wears down
much quicker than the enamelled side
resulting in a sharp edge for cutting
and chewing the abrasive grasses the
wombat prefers.
There is a large gap between the
The skeleton of an adult Bare Nosed Wombat supports a weight of
approximately 22-50kg, the average being around 26kg. Length is
approximately 900-1150mm.
The skeleton of a wombat. Photo
compliments www.nhc.ed.ac.uk
In Southern Hairy Nosed Wombats the plate is bone but in the Bare Nosed Wombat
the plate is a cartilage and deteriorates once dead leaving nothing behind.
The skull of a wombat. Photo
compliments www.nhc.ed.ac.uk
A unique feature of the wombats skeletal system is the hard plate that
covers its rump area. The plates function is solely for protecting the
wombat from attack. In such situations, the wombat will enter its
burrow, or an area where it can protect most of its body (eg rock crevice)
leaving the rump exposed.
The hard surface protects the animal from serious injury. The wombat
also uses the plate to slam its opponent against the top of the burrow.
Teeth of a common wombat. Photo by Linda Dennis
Sometimes wombat teeth grow on an angle in this situation a wombat needs to have its
teeth led this should be done by an experienced vet.
Crooked teeth of a wombat. Photo by Shirley lack
A juvenile wombats ear. Photo by Andrea Devos
Wombats have small ears which are good at hearing. Wombats mating. Photo by Michele Barnes
front incisors and the rear molars and
this is used to rearrange food with the
tongue.
Unlike any other Australian
marsupial the teeth are rootless and
grow continuously to combat the
coarse, abrasive nature of the grasses
they prefer.
The wombat can breed at any
time throughout the year. When the
wombat is on heat it is very brief,
lasting only around 15 hours. (The
oestrous cycle.)
When a female approaches
oestrous (in the pro-oestrous period)
she displays her scats in prominent
places, such as on top of rocks. The
pheromones in scats indicate to a male
that she is approaching oestrous and
will be ready to mate.
The courtship and mating ritual is
particularly aggressive, and the male is
often chased away after copulation.
The male does not have any role in the
upbringing of the joey.
Gestation is approximately 30 days
where upon the embryonic joey crawls
from the cloaca to the pouch, which is
backward opening, probably to avoid
dirt entering the pouch when the
wombat digs.
The joey attaches to one of two
teats and stays permanently attached
for around 5 months, leaving the
Wombat being fed.
When wombat poo also called a scat is prominently displayed it
can show that a female is on heat. (A territorial male will also
display scats up high to show he is around.) Photo by Linda
Dennis
Poo prominently displayed. Photo
Wombat Protection Society of Australia
Fresh poo from a 13 month old juvenile
wombat. Photo by Linda Dennis
pouch permanently at around 10
months of age.
Weaning is around 12 to 15
months of age, however the joey
remains with its mother for a short
time after weaning. It is usually
independent at 18 months of age.
At around 2 years, and weighing
approximately 22kgs, the wombat is
ready to become sexually active,
however they generally start to breed
at around three years of age.
Mother and offspring form a very
strong bond with each other, which
lasts until the young is ready for
independence. Juvenile Bare Nosed
Wombats stay with their mothers and
share their burrows for a short time
after weaning (12-15 months of age)
and are independent at approximately
18 months old.
At this time the mother can
become quite aggressive toward the
juvenile, pushing the confused and
frightened wombat out of its territory.
However, female offspring have a
better chance of sharing their mothers
area than a male.
Wombat poo is very dry in
relation to other marsupials because
the wombat is one of the most efcient
consumers of water.
A wombat doesnt need to drink
water often during good conditions
(eg: when the grass is green) and can
obtain most of their uid intake via the
food they eat.
This isnt to say they dont drink
water at all, however. Wombats have
been seen drinking from a water hole
for up to 8 minutes without stopping.
Wombats use their faeces to
communicate with other wombats; for
example, to advertise territory and for
females to show when they are on
heat.
The pheromones in the females
poo indicates that she is ready to mate
and male wombats use them as a
tracking device.
It is very important that you have
a deep bowl lled to the top, a bowl
which the wombat cannot tip over. A
wombat does not lap they purse their
lips and suck water as tho' through a
straw.
To advertise territory or to show
reproduction status, a wombat will
leave its faeces in high prominent
places, like on a rock or tree stump.
Juvenile wombats are more discreet (so
not to cause anger to older wombats)
and defecate in hidden areas, such as
under bushes.
Smaller wombats have small,
moist and usually pointed faeces,
similar in appearance to macropod
poo. Adults have large squarish poo.
The poo may look circular from
the top, however in a 3D sense, when
looking at the poo from all sides it
looks like a cube.
The larger the nuggets, the bigger
the wombat. Male wombats often
scratch the ground where they have
defecated.
Commonly, Bare Nosed Wombats
in captivity can live between 12 and 15
years of age, however the longest
recorded period is 26 years of age
(London Zoo Folwer, 1931).
Allocating an approximate age for
a wombat joey is relatively easy. Many
aspects are used to ascertain age
including, weight, furred status, body
structure and teeth eruption.
Once a wombat reaches adulthood
(over 2 years of age) it is nearly
impossible to age it.
The usual way to age any animal is
Mother and joey. Photo by Shirley Lack Mother and joey. Photo by Shirley Lack
Mother and joey. Photo by Shirley Lack
Wombat joey 12 days old. Photo by Michele Barnes
Wombat joey 222 days old The joey was trying to get back into the pouch however the
mother was having none of it and was fending the joey off with her feet. Photo by Michele
Barnes
Wombat mothers pouch fully inverted right teat exposed. Photo by Michele Barnes
Joey sucking teat from the inverted pouch. Photo by Michele Barnes
225 day old joey trying to get into the inverted pouch. Photo by Michele Barnes
Joey cuddled up on the inverted pouch and still sucking teat, the joey fell asleep. Photo
by Michele Barnes
via teeth growth and wear, however
wombats teeth grow continuously
making it difcult - near impossible -
to age.
AT 8 MONTHS OLD
(weight 3-3.5kg)
The joey is fully furred. Large
ears, appearing too large for head. Tail
still visible. Out of pouch more often
and quite active while still in burrow.
Nibbles grass while poking head out of
pouch. Starting to emerge while out of
the burrow.
The joey will poke its bottom out
of the mothers pouch to pee,
sometimes the joey has to be careful as
sometimes the opposite is true too and
the mother may pee on the baby.
AT 9-11 MONTHS OLD
(weight 3.5-6.5kg)
Joey leaves the pouch permanently
during this period. Skin on nose and
on soles of feet is darkening. Still
suckles from the teat, which can be
elongated and protruding out of the
pouch.
Stays close to the mother
whenever out of the burrow, often not
breaking physical contact. Eats more
and more grass and maybe its mother
scats to increase gut ora.
AT ABOUT 18 MONTHS OLD
(weight 16-24kg)
The joey is usually independent at
this age.
When you come across a wombat
which is roadkill and you have
A joey peeing from the pouch.
Photo by Bob Cleaver
A joey sometimes has to be careful that
its limbs are in the pouch or it may get
peed on. Photo by Bob Cleaver
The correct way to hold a joey wombat.
Photo by Stephanie Clark
At 18 months the joey is independent from its mother. Photo by Shirley Lack
David Alder with two of his joeys. Photo from David Alder
The correct way to hold an adult wombat. Photo by Shirley Lack Checking a wombat for a joey. Photo by Todd Dennis
removed it from the road and checked
for a baby joey it is good practice to
mark the wombat so other carers know
that the wombat has been checked.
The mistake has been made of
putting a small circle, square or small
line on the wombat.
Here in Tasmania there was an
advert in the paper complaining about
a person going around spraypainting
dead wombats genitals.
This turned out to be a new carer
who marked the pouch with bright
yellow spray paint so she knew if she
had checked that wombat.
For this reason we suggest a large
cross from one side of the wombat to
the other (see picture)
If the wombat is a female you will
need to determine if she has a joey in
her pouch.
Sometimes if the wombat has been
dead for a few days it will have become
bloated, smelly, eyes removed and it
will be difcult to determine the sex of
the wombat.
Rescuers checking dead or injured
wombats should always check for a
joey.
Although the dead mother may
look old (eyes removed) bloated and
smelly a wombat joey can live up to
ve days inside the pouch AFTER the
mother has died.
In some roadkill cases, the joey
may have been ung out of the pouch
during the impact of the accident.
Make a large distinguishable cross on the body of an already checked wombat.
Photo by Shirley Lack
The colour of the cross is not important as long as it is a large cross so other carers can
see it. Photo by Wombat Protection Society of Australia
The mother was a roadkill victim, this
baby was thrown from the pouch and is
trying to climb back in but cannot as the
pouch is inverted. Photo by Carol Pullar
Baby wombat in dead mothers pouch.
Photo by Carol Pullar
It may be on the road near the
mother, or if it is bigger (around 2kg)
the joey may have left the mothers
pouch and be hiding nearby.
The size of the mothers teats will
give you an idea if there is young at
heel. When not in use the teat is quite
small, however it elongates during use.
The teat will be long and extend pass
the pouch opening for the joey to
suckle.
If the teat appears in use check
the nearby area for the joey wombat
as the joey will stay close near its dead
mother for many days and will be
relatively defenceless.
Trying to catch a joey at foot is
like trying to catch a greasy piglet, and
the joey will become more cunning
each time you try to catch him. So it is
best to set a trap.
Setting a trap to capture a joey at
foot can be a long process but with
persistence you will eventually
succeed.
The trap needs to be checked
often, as a wombat even a juvenile
left in a trap can cause damage to itself
trying to escape.
To set the trap you should:
Rub a pouch over the dead mother
to obtain her scent
Put the scented pouch into the trap
Take the dead mother away.
A live joey will need to be taken
from the dead mother. This may not
The story of Maggie
a success story
This joey is named Maggie.
She was named Maggie because
when she came into care she
was covered in maggots.
She weighed 276g.
Her carer did a wonderful job
caring for her and she was
buddied with another wombat
when she was 4kg.
She has since been successfully
released.
Maggie is only one of many
injured tiny wombats that have
beaten the odds and survived.
Maggie when she rst came in to care. Photo by Shirley Lack
Maggie a few months later happy and
contented. Photo by Shirley Lack
Setting a trap to rescue the joey at foot. Photo from Shirley Lack
This baby was injured (notice the bruising) and died not long after. Photo by Shirley Lack
Using a blunt ended scissors cut the pouch making sure your ngers protect the baby
Cutting the pouch to free the joey. Photo by Shirley Lack
Joey being carefully removed from the pouch. Photo from Shirley Lack
Joey being removed. Photo by Shirley Lack
Baby covered in a greasy lubricated goo from it's mothers pouch.
Joey is free from the pouch and will need to be warmed. Photo by Shirley Lack
This is a now orphaned joey in the pouch of her dead mother. Photo by Roz Holmes
be an easy process as the joey will have
just gone through a traumatic
experience and will resist any attempts
to be taken from the pouch.
If you are not able to ease the joey
from the pouch you will have to cut
the pouch carefully to remove him.
You will need a sharp pair of round-
ended scissors or a scalpel knife. You
will need to put your ngers into the
pouch between the joey and the top of
the pouch to prevent the joey from
being cut.
If the joey is still attached to the
teat this should be cut as close to the
mother as possible. You should insert a
safety pin in the cut teat to stop the
joey from swallowing the teat. The
teat will be able to be taken from his
mouth within a couple of hours. The
teat should not be forced from the
joeys mouth as he will release it in due
course.
Remember the mother is dead and
unable to feel any more pain.
HOW TO CARE FOR A
RESCUED JOEY?
In Australia, each state has
different laws as to what you can and
cannot do with wildlife, for instance,
in NSW it is illegal for a member of
the public to raise rescued Australian
fauna unless you have a license issued
by DECCW.
Tasmania has a similar law but all
licenses need to be issued by
DPIPWE.
Cut the teat as close as you can to the mammary gland add a safety pin so the joey
cannot swallow the teat. Photo by Shirley Lack
Check your state as to what the
law is for the care of rescued joeys.
When you have rescued the joey it
A joey being bottle fed. Photo by Susan
Henshaw Bottle feeding a joey. Photo from David Alder
should be placed on heat as quickly as
possible, as they will be in shock. In
the eld you can use hot water bottles
lled with warm tap water. This heat
treatment will stop them from losing,
or help them retain critical core
temperature.
If the joey is small enough you can
place it against your skin, on the
outside of the joey make sure you have
it covered with your shirt and
something thick like a towel or jacket
if you are wearing one.
If the joey has no signs of injury
they should be taken straight home for
further assessment and care. Once
home the wombat should be checked
over thoroughly to determine if there
are any injuries which were not
discernable at the rescue site. Failure
to take a bottle or settle may indicate
an injury which had not been detected
during the initial inspection.
When checking over the joey you
should remember that both sides of
the wombat should be the same. If one
leg looks out of place compare it with
the leg on the other side. If one leg is
different it may be broken and require
vet treatment.
The joey should be weighed
during the assessment process. A
record of the progress condition and
weight of the joey should be
maintained during rehabilitation.
Weighing the joey on a daily basis
is the best way of determining if he is
improving. It takes only a few seconds
to check his weight. This process is
not stressful.
Weighing a joey wombat. Photo from Shirley Lack
An older wombat joey being weighed. Photo by Linda Dennis
Baby joey in the velvet stage, at this
point the joey will not be able to regulate
its own body temperature. Photo by
Linda Dennis
Once the joey has settled into a
routine the weigh-in process may be
reduced to once or twice a week. A
joey should sleep most of the day.
A joey may have internal injuries if
they are not sleeping as often and as
long as they should, or they are trying
to stand, or they are generally
unsettled. Vet assistance should be
sought to determine the problem.
TEMPERATURE
REQUIREMENTS ARE:
Furless or just furred joey
(under 600g) 28-30 Celsius NO
HIGHER!
Joeys of this size cannot regulate
their own body temperature and must
be placed on a heat source.
Developing fur (over 600g) 28
Celsius NO HIGHER!
Joeys of this size are just starting
to regulate their own temperature,
however there should still be a heat
source available. Place the heat source
so that the joey can move away from it
if it wants to.
Furred joeys can regulate their
own temperature and should not need
a heat source. However, a sick or
injured joey may need to be kept warm
- 28 Celsius NO HIGHER!
SKIN LUBRICATION
In the wild, the pre-emerged
wombat joey lives in a humid
environment the mothers pouch. In
the pouch a thick waxy substance is
produced, and the temperature is
Unfurred joey. Photo by Wayne White
Just furred joey. Photo by Wayne White
Furred joey. Photo by Wayne White
regulated creating a humid
environment that keeps the joey well
lubricated. Trying to reproduce a
similar humid environment while in
care is not recommended as bacterial
infections may occur, so alternatively
the joey needs to be lubricated on a
daily basis.
A furless joey will need to be
lubricated over the entire body
otherwise the skin can become red,
raw, cracked and dry (ensure that you
avoid the eye area and nostrils).
A just furred joey will need to have
the eshy bits lubricated, such as the
paw pads, nose and sometimes the
cloaca.
Once the joey is quite active and
the paw pads are darkening,
lubrication is not normally required.
However, you should constantly check
for dry or damaged skin and apply
lubrication when required.
Some lubrications are:
E45 Cream-dermatological
contains white soft parafn and
hypoallergenic Lanolin
Olive Oil
Paw Paw ointment (in the white
container, the red container is
petroleum based and should be
avoided)
Pure Sorbolene Cream
Oral treatments that can be mixed
with normal milk bottles:
Canola Oil or
Olive Oil
E45 Cream dermatological lubricant
for furless joeys.
Megaderm is a product and if used
according to instructions (on the
bottle) a joey will not need as much
topical lubrication as with any other
oral treatments.
Never use:
Baby oil as it is a real no-no.
The mineral content of this
application can make a joey very ill
when absorbed through the skin or if
it is licked off.
WHAT TO FEED A JOEY IN
CARE?
You will need to determine which
milk product you are going to use for
your wombat joey and how often it
will need feeding.
Warm formula should only be fed
to a warm joey and one that has had a
chance to settle. Try to make the
feeding experience as pleasurable as
possible take him to a quiet area
which is relaxing and where you will
not be disturbed.
Remember that joeys drink with
their eyes closed you do not have to
wake a wombat to have him feed. Pick
the wombat up and place the teat in
the side of the mouth.
Once the wombat has started to
suck, the teat can be moved around to
the front of the mouth. Once the joey
has become accustomed with the
routine he will take the bottle without
waking.
100-200g joey - joeys that are
between 100-200g need to be feed
every 2-3 hours AROUND THE
CLOCK.
This can be a tedious and tiring job
for a wildlife carer and
unfortunately some wildlife carers
have chosen to euthanase their
animal instead of handing it onto
another carer.
Just because YOU feel the wombat
may not survive, does not mean you
are right. Many carers have a
wonderful gift for raising tiny joeys
- even pinkies.
Before passing on the joey to
another carer you should always
record the joeys weight and
condition, and any other facts about
them, eg injuries, treatment
provided, response to treatment,
where the joey came from, how the
joey came into care, if feeding or
not. Keeping records for individual
wombats is very important so that
they can be referred to in the
future.
200-700g joey - a joey that is
between 200-700g should be fed
every 3-4 hours = 6 to 7 feeds
within 24 hours.
700-1500g joey - joeys that are
700-1500g should be fed every 4
hours (around the clock) = 6 feeds.
Joeys over 1.5kg - joeys over 1.5kg
should be fed every 4 hours but the
middle of the night feed can be
stopped = 5 feeds.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT MILK
PRODUCT.
There are three suitable
commercial milks available for feeding
orphaned wildlife. Do not be afraid to
try different milks to suit an individual
wombats needs and preference.
A joey may prefer one milk
formula over another. If he refuses to
drink a particular formula you should
try another brand of milk.
A joey may even have an allergic
reaction to a particular formula. All of
the following products are used
successfully to raise wombat joeys.
BIOLAC makes 4 formulas of
milk:
M100G for tiny joeys under 200g.
M100 for joeys 200-1000g.
M150 for joeys that have dense fur.
M200 for animals that are
producing dark pellets.
Note: It has been noted that that
babies weighing more than 800g tend
do better if changed to M150.
WOMBAROOmakes 3 milk
formulas for wombats:
<.4 is for joeys that are less than
40% through pouch life.
.4 is for joeys that are 40% through
pouch life.
>.6 is for joeys that are more than
60% through pouch life.
Note: Wombaroo is very
concentrated milk, and water MUST
be given between feeds. Lots of carers
add more water to the formula, but
this is NOT what is recommended by
the manufacturer. They recommend
that extra boiled water be given
between bottles.
DI-VETELACT OR
DIGESTELACT comes in only one
strength.
Wombats that refuse a bottle
when rst in care often will accept
Digestelact. Wombats often prefer this
sweeter formula when rst taking to a
bottle.
They can be changed over to
another milk formula within a couple
of weeks.
PROBIOTICS
Regardless of the milk formula
you choose for your joey it is
recommended that probiotics be used
Wombaroo make a formula designed
specically for wombats
Di-Vetelact
as a general management tool every
day - this is advice offered by Dr Anne
Fowler BVSc, MACVSc (Torquay
Animal House Vet Clinic). Dr Fowler,
who is experienced in the care of
wildlife, suggests that probiotics, such
as those listed below, should be added
to milk formulas daily and not just
when the joey is ill.
Using probiotics daily will reduce
the chances of the joey becoming ill
with a bacterial infection. Remember!
that each animal is different and a
probiotic that works well on one joey
may cause problems with another so
adjust accordingly.
There are several good probiotics
formulas to choose from:
Protexin is wonderful mixture that
increases gut ora. It comes in a liquid
or powder form which can be added to
a milk bottle (after the milk has been
heated) or the liquid can be given
directly by squirting into the mouth. It
is very pricey however approximately
$60 for a 125ml bottle with a pump.
Inner Health and Inner Health
Plus are human probiotics that have
been used very successfully in
marsupial joeys. There are dairy free
options (no lactose) that come in
powder form in a 50g jar, costing
around $30.
The recommended dose is
one/eighth of a teaspoon in each milk
bottle (add after milk has been heated).
Inner Health and Inner Health Plus
Inner Health cut the capsule and use
the oil inside for your joey wombat in
their bottle.
can be purchased from most chemists
and health food shops.
Yoghurt is a probiotic derived
from cows milk. Quantities depend on
carers preference and the joeys age.
Use natural unavoured yoghurt only
Remember that marsupials are lactose
intolerant not lactose resistant, so the
low levels a joey will receive from
yoghurt or other probiotics derived
from cows milk will not affect it.
Yakult, is another human
probiotic that can be used successfully.
Quantities depend on carers
preference and the joeys age. A
recommended mixture is 1 bottle of
Yakult per litre of milk, alternatively
half a bottle of Yakult can be mixed
with one litre of milk.
Acidophilus powder is another
good source of probiotic which is not
derived from cows milk. Again,
quantities depend on individual carers
preference and the joeys needs. A
recommended quantity is one/eighth
of a teaspoon for a furless or just
furred or one quarter of a teaspoon
for a furred joey, mixed into each
bottle of milk. Acidophilus can be
purchased from most chemists and
health food stores.
MILK ADDITIVES
Generally, other milk additives are
not required if using milk formulas
correctly, although some carers do like
to add different elements for extra
nutrition, vitamins or minerals. This is
a personal choice for each carer.
Some additives include:
Wombaroo Impact is a colostrum
powder that is considered by many as
an essential milk additive for furless or
just furred joeys to boost the immune
system. It can also be used for an
unwell joey that may have a
compromised immune system. (See
the leaet included in bottles of
Impact for directions.) It is an additive
to a milk and cannot be given on its
own.
Heinz Baby Rice Cereal
Powder is sometimes added to Di-
Vetelact formula for added nutrition
Impact is a colostrum supplement it is
to be mixed in a milk formula and cannot
be given on its own.
but should only be started once the
joey has its eyes open and ears are
starting to detach from head.
Olive or Canola Oil is used to
keep the coat shiny and in good
quality. Only a few drops per bottle are
needed.
DONT BE AFRAID TO TRY
DIFFERENT MILKS ALL THE
ABOVE BRANDS ARE GOOD
which one you choose to use is a
personal choice
Some joeys prefer some milk
formulas over other formulas. Dont
walk around with blinkers on just
because you prefer one brand over
another does not mean your joey will
have the same taste as you. If your joey
refuses to drink try another band of
milk. Joeys can get allergic reactions
any of the above mentioned milk
powders in rare cases. The milk must
then be changed to another brand.
If you have more than one
wombat in care at the same time you
may need different formulas for each
wombat. Making up a days supply of
bottles at the same time can be very
convenient, especially if you are doing
a lot of night feeds.
Heating your joeys milk is
important as microwaving the milk
should be avoided at all costs especially
if microwaving in plastic bottles. If the
contents of the bottle are made too hot
the milk will de-nature (all the
goodness will be destroyed).
The best way to heat a bottle is to
place it into a container of boiling
water. A cup with hot water from the
tap is a good size as it can stand a
bottle up safely without the bottle
falling over. Care still has to be taken
that the contents do not become too
hot therefore boiling water is not
always the best as it heats fast and
overheats the formula. Milk should be
offered at body temperature. Coffee
warmers have been used with great
success for keeping a bottle warm. In-
car-cup-warmers (car charger type) are
great for road trips.
All equipment and prepared
bottles should be kept in the fridge as
Lectade to aid in the dehydration of all
types of marsupials and mammals.
this keeps them at a temperature that
does not promote bacteria.
WHAT IF YOUR JOEY IS
DEHYDRATED
To tell if your joey is dehydrated
pinch its skin and if it remains
puckered your joey will need to be
hydrated.
Mix 5g of glucose dissolved in
100mL of warm boiled water and offer
small amounts as often as possible.
Or you can use dehydration
serums such as lectade.
There are a variety bottles and
teats available.
Some joeys are very fussy about
the teat used. You may need to try a
number of teats before you nd one
the joey will accept.
You should use a bottle not much
bigger than the quantity of milk that is
being given, as the milk will become
too cold if the bottle is too large - you
will spend half the feed time reheating
the bottle.
The size of the teat hole is
important when feeding. Wombats
have a very strong suck once they have
settled into a feeding routine.
If the hole in the teat is too big the
milk may get into the lungs or start to
pour out of the nose. These do not
make for a good feeding session and
must be avoided. The solution is to
change the teat to one with a smaller
hole.
Heat a needle (using a match or
the ame of a gas-ring), once hot
pierce the end of the teat right
through then swirl the needle in a
circular motion to widen the teat hole
the hole is the right size if when you
place WARM NOT COLD water
into it it slowly drips out.
Some carers will at this point
either bite the end of the teat (or
chew) to get it to the right size or
more experienced carers will initially
nip the end with the tip of the scissors
blades on an angle.
When caring for joeys we are
trying to replicate how the mother
does it as close as possible; having a
teat with a large hole does not give the
joey the ability to suck but makes him
take the milk far too fast. This may be
convenient for the carer as it gets feed
time over quickly, however it is not the
correct way joeys should be fed as it
may cause colic and leave the joey
feeling very distressed and overfull.
All bottles and teats need to be
sterilised after each meal. There are
many ways to do this. Using a
sterilising agent is useful, (steradent
for dentures can be used) although
some carers will use a cheaper version
with just as good results -the
microwave.
Fill the bottles with water and
then heat the bottles so that the water
is boiling in them, allow them to cool
before handling them, empty and
allow them to stand upside down to
dry (a human baby bottle stand can be
used for this available on ebay for
about $2-$9).
Getting a newly arrived joey to
take a bottle can sometimes be a very
frustrating job, especially if he is over
2kg.
You really do need an extra pair of
hands to hold these ghting bundles of
muscle. They are very strong animals
even when very young.
Make sure that the wombats eyes
are covered and never feed for more
than about 30 minutes. The joey
should associate the feed as a pleasant
time, not a time that is associated with
a massive struggle.
Small wombats often get blocked
noses and this prevents them from
sucking. Gently clean the nose with a
cotton wool bud or even round- ended
tweezers. This process is sometimes
easier said than done as wombats do
not like you touching their noses.
WOMBAT BISCUITS RECIPE
Put cut grass in a blender with some water and blend
Retain blended liquid
Mix blended liquid with Rolled Oats and a small amount of Critical Care
Shape mixture into patty sized biscuits
Bake in a very slow oven for about an hour.
Any other ingredient (eg grated carrot) that you think may stimulate the wombats appetite may be added.
These biscuits can be offered whole or broken into smaller pieces. These biscuits are also eaten by
macropods and possums.
Removing nose gunk from a wombat is
not always an easy job. Photo by Linda
Dennis
Wombats eat lots and lots and lots
of native grass daily, grasses such as
tussock, spear grass, kangaroo grass,
wallaby grass, even introduced grasses
are eaten such as buffel grass. (The
grass Kikuyu is not recommended as it
can be poisonous in lush spells,
particularly after dry conditions and
can even cause death).
They will consume vast amounts
of grass daily. If you are feeding a
number of wombats collecting grass
can be very time consuming,
particularly during drought or wet
weather. Grass collection has to be
done on a daily basis or at least every
second day to ensure freshness.
Supplementary feeding can be
80% grass and 20% other food such
as:
Native grasses such as tussock,
spear grass, kangaroo grass and
wallaby grass should be generously
offered. Introduced grasses such as
buffalo grass are also eaten. It is best to
use grass from where the wombat
originated, or will be released too.
Kikuyu is not recommended as it can
be poisonous in lush spells after dry
conditions and can cause death..
Kangaroo Pellets are an ideal
non-natural food to offer. They are
made specically for Australian
marsupials and have a host of vitamins
and minerals included.
Kangaroo pellets can be purchased
from most farm produce stores.
Sorghum(also known as Milo) is
a very palatable hard grain that is ideal
for wetter climates as it will not spoil if
it gets wet. WARNING: Green shoots
from grain left on the ground are toxic
and can cause death.
Complete horse food by
Barastoc is a good food supplement. It
is highly palatable with lots of vitamins
and minerals and acceptable for
wombats.
Cop Rice is another type of feed
created for horses but can be used for
wombats.
There are many types of Cop
Rice, the general purpose one may be
the best choice and this is called Cool
Condition. Cop Rice is made from rice
and rice bran.
Other grains developed for
ruminants, eg Economix, can be
offered, however you must ensure that
the protein levels are not too high
(under 12%).
Dirt. A joey should be offered a
considerable amount of dirt as this
helps gut bacteria to form.
Food such as unsweetened
muesli, rolled oats, carrot, lucerne,
sweet potato, etc, can be offered.
Raw potato is not recommended
as it has little nutritional value.
Unprocessed oats (from produce
stores) are also not recommended as
the husks can become embedded in
the gum.
Carrots are not recommended in
areas where baiting is carried out
(carrots are dosed with 1080 and used
in some areas to eradicate rabbits and
marsupials).
As the wombat matures you
should reduce the amount of
supplement food and offer native food
that is commonly found in the area
where the wombat will be released,
this is especially so if a hard release
technique is used.
Providing too much unnatural
food, such as sweet potato or pumpkin,
may cause stomach upsets, causing
enteritis.
If the wombat becomes
accustomed to a small amount of
Wombats will need water they will need a sturdy container which cannot be tipped over
and a deep one as wombats suck water they do not lap. Photo by Linda Dennis.
supplementary food the carer has this
option available to them and for the
wombat, when at times it is impossible
to collect the amount of grass required
by the wombat.
The grass you are feeding the
wombats should be collected from
your local area.
If the wombat is being released in
an area with different grass they
should be given grass from that area
prior to release.
In a perfect wombat world the
wombat should be allowed to graze
but not many carers are in a position
or have the facilities for this to occur.
When collecting grass caution
should be taken on where it is
collected; make sure the area you are
collecting from is not contaminated
with other animal droppings.
Clean water should be made
available at all times in a container that
cannot be tipped over by the wombat.
IMPORTANCE OF SUNLIGHT
Most living things on this planet
need sunlight in order to grow. Access
to ltered sunlight is an essential
component of raising an orphaned
wombat joey.
Wombats cannot tolerate high
temperatures so direct sunlight during
the hottest parts of the day must be
avoided.
Early morning and late afternoon
are the best time to get your joey out
into the sun, but only if the
temperature is under 28C.
The joey does not necessarily
need to be in direct sunlight to benet
from the sun's rays which provide
much needed Vitamin D to the joey. A
shady spot, say under a tree is perfectly
acceptable.
Joeys start to become active out of
pouch at around the 3kg to 3.5kg mark
(around 8 months of age).
This may be a good time to get
your joey outside for play times and
for short wombat walks. Choose a
sheltered area and sit with your joey
while it takes time to sniff the bushes
and munch on grass.
Allow the joey is move back into
its pouch, or to you, when it wants too.
A furless or just furred joey will
also benet from sunlight, however
you should only expose the head of the
joey and for short periods at a time.
Joeys in the wild are used to living in a
dark warm pouch - if you leave the
joey exposed for too long it will
become distressed.
Ensure that you monitor the joey
constantly while being in the sunlight
- any sign of discomfort in the joey
and it should be moved into a more
shaded area or returned to the pouch.
If you keep the joey in the sun too
long it may develop a skin allergy - red
raised skin or swollen eyes may need
an antihistamine injection to remedy.
THE BENEFITS OF BUDDYING
In the wild a wombat joey shares a
very strong bond with its mother and
an orphaned wombat joey will share a
similar bond with its human mum. A
joey that is raised on its own may
demand attention most of the time,
even while it is sleeping.
A single joey that is not offered
Spending time outside with babies so they can run back to Mum and their pouch for assurance. Photo from Shirley Lack
the company and nurturing it craves
may result in a very distressed joey.
If the joey manages to escape from
its enclosure it will seek out its mum
and if he /she cant be found the joey
will nd the nearest object that smells
like mum and will curl up and fret
itself to sleep.
If joeys are raised in pairs or more,
the craving for human company isnt
as strong if it has its buddy to depend
on. Although the joey will still want -
and should receive - cuddles from
mum it will not stress when not in
continuous contact.
In most situations a joey that has
been raised on its own will have a
tougher time assimilating into the wild
than a joey that has been raised with a
buddy. It will take a lot longer for the
joey to nally leave home and become
truly wild. This may result in a
stressed wombat during the release
process. However, not all joeys
tolerate being buddied. Wombats have
individual characters and just like
humans not all wombats get on with
each other. Its uncommon but still
possible that you may receive a joey
that does not fair well with being
buddied, and if this is the case it may
be better to raise the joey on its own.
This will be a tougher job for the
carer and much dedication is required
to raise the joey so that it does not
crave human company once it has
been released.
Buddied Wombats. Photo from Shirley Lack
HOUSING
When the joey is around 2kg they
will need to be housed in something a
bit bigger than their original cot.
At this stage I place the joey in a
hanging pouch. This gives them the
choice of whether they would like to
snuggle up together if they have a
buddy, or stay out in their small
compound. This hanging pouch stays
with the joey until they are fully
entrenched in a burrow.
CARE OF THE OLDER JOEY
An older joey which comes into
care will need special escape-proof
housing. Wombats are great climbers
and escape artists.
Housing of juvenile wombats. Photo by Shirley Lack
Housing of juvenile wombats. Photo by Shirley Lack
The buddying of wombats is very
important. Photo by Linda Dennis
Consequently, their housing will
need either a secure lid or very high
sides.
I have seen some impressive set-
ups for juvenile wombats. Your set-up
is only limited by your imagination
and nances.
Furred wombats are not the
plaything of children nor are they the
family pet. Many wombats in care have
become humanised. With the buddy
system between two wombats, the
wombats bond with each other and not
the carer.
A joey should not be left to
wander the house or yard unsupervised
as the wombat may be injured in this
unfamiliar environment. While a carer
may think it is cute to have a wombat
following family members around this
is very stressful to the wombat as they
are looking for the security of their
mother.
Wombats should not be carted
around the countryside for the
purpose of displaying these animals to
friends and relatives. There are times
when we must take our wombats with
us but it can be done in such a way
that they are not noticed. Wombats
that need to be taken with their carer
can be placed in a carry bag or basket
that can be carried without being
noticed by members of the public.
When feeding is necessary the carer
should nd a quiet, private area to
feed.
This is in no way a complete
article on all the care a wombat will
need - in our next magazine we will do
a feature on the difference between
soft release and hard release, how to
soft release and we will do a special on
outdoor enclosures. This information
can be found in these wonderful
manuals available at the website of
Fourth Crossing Wildlife:
A Guide to the Care of Bare-
Nosed Wombats by Linda Dennis,
Anne Fowler, Kim Rolls and Anne-
Maree Dineen.
Wombat Husbandry by Donna
Treby
All of these guides can be
downloaded free on the website:
www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com
Also used was A basic Care
Guide for Bare Nosed Wombats by
Shirley Lack.Thank you for your
pictures and information
Thank you for permission to use
the article Breeding Common
Wombats by Cameron Lane and
Michele Barnes. Australian Wildlife
Experience, Dreamworld, Australia
I would like to offer a
personal thank you to David
Alder from Wombat Protection
Society of Australia
(www.wombatprotection.org.au),
Linda Dennis from Fourth
Crossing Wildife
(www.fourthcrossingwildlife.com),
thank you to Stephanie Clark and
Wayne White, Tasmania - my
mentors and friends - Southern
Wildlife Rescue and Care
(http://southernwildlife.org).
Different ways to contain your juvenile wombat so it does not climb or dig out.
Different ways to contain your juvenile wombat so it does not climb or dig out.
Bruce Bain
Photography
Last year when the snow had covered all the Central Plateau I was coming past
Little Pine Lagoon when I noticed a Wombat on the side of the road.
I got out and started photographing it and a Bennetts wallaby.
They were eating some grass and having a drink of water in an area
that was clear of snow.
Wombats have a coarse,dark brown fur.
Short ears,large bare nose and small eyes.
They are powerfully built, with short legs and strong claws for digging out their
underground burrows that they live in.
Generally wombats are nocturnal and come out at night to feed on
native grasses, roots and shrubs.
They generally have one baby and carry in the pouch for six months.
ALL IMAGES COVERED BY COPYRIGHT All prices in Australian dollars including GST
These wonderful photographs and many others are
available online from Bruce Bain Photography.
Please enjoy the full range at
http://brucebainphotography.com.au/
Or contact Bruce directly at:
Email: brucebain@activ8.net.au
Phone: 03 6397 8363
PRINT SIZES AND PRICES (Australian dollars including GST)
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Your choice of gloss or semi-gloss (matte) photo paper
Postage discounts apply for multiple purchases
Photographs can be delivered anywhere in the world, please contact Bruce for quote.
All prints can be matted in a range of colours, with single or double mats available. Matting will
be cut to suit your choice of frame.
Frame mouldings available in Tasmanian timbers Blackwood / Celerytop Pine / Tasmanian Oak
/ Myrtle / Sassafras. Other mouldings (timber framing) also available.
Contact Bruce directly for price on matting and framing of images.
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Southern Wildlife Rescue & Care (SWRC)
Te training days/workshops we have coming up for Southern Wildlife Rescue & Care
(SWRC), SWRC is a Wildcare group.
Saturday 22 September 2012
Assessment & Treatment of Burnt Wildlife by Dr Anne Fowler
Launceston (venue TBA)
Sunday 23 September 2012
Assessment & Treatment of Burnt Wildlife by Dr Anne Fowler
Campania Hall, Campania
Saturday 20 October 2012
Husbandry & Rehabilitation of Water Birds & Sea Birds by Dr Anne Fowler
Sunday 21 October 2012
Advanced First Aid For Birds by Dr Anne Fowler
For more information people can contact me:-
Email steoclark@yahoo.com.au Phone (03) 62593038
www.southernwildlife.org
Little Girl. Photo by Helen Hutchards
Helen Hutchards
Little Girls story
L
ittle Girl was brought to me as
an orphaned joey in September
2008 after her mother had been
killed by a car.
Unfortunately Little girl has also
taken some damage and had a badly
broken leg. I took her to a wonderful
vet who told me that she would try and
put a cast on the leg but not to hold
out much hope for the leg to heal
correctly. 5 weeks later the cast came
off but there was now an infection in
the leg joint. The right antibiotics
quickly xed that and Little Girl
suddenly found she could use both legs
and use them she did, ying round the
house like it was her private race
track!!!
She was eventually soft released
on my property and quickly settled in
with the wild Black Striped Wallabies
that live here.
She is now 4 years old and
currently has joey number 6 in her
pouch, she still chooses to stay close
to home and visits me twice daily, she
even comes into my front yard when it
is time to let her babies out of the
pouch for the rst time which is such a
privilege for me.
Inset: Little Girl and joey. Photo by Helen Hutchards
V
O
T
E
Andrea Devos
Funnies Section
Rescue of the Month
Gillian called to say there was a lizard in
a yucca plant in a backyard in Patterson
Lakes. I don't handle many lizards so
asked the best way to pick them up
before proceeding. I approached with
caution as you never know if they'll
bite. This guy wasn't going anywhere as
he is made with rubber! After a good
laugh with the owner of the property I
coudn't help myself so I delivered it to
Gillian in the rescue basket and told her
to watch out because it was a esty one!
More to the story: When I realised it
was a toy I was tempted to grab it and
stick it to my throat and thrash around
and pretend that it had attacked me, but
the man was 85 years old and I thought
I might end up rescuing him instead!
And he was a nice man.
Paula Rivera Wildlife Carer
Grey soft release
THE SNAIL AND CAR
There was once a snail who was sick
and tired of his reputation for being so
slow. He decided to get some fast wheels
to make up the difference. After
shopping around a while, he decided that
the Datson 240-Z was the car to get. So
the snail goes to the nearest Datsun
dealer and says he wants to buy the 240-
Z, but he wants it repainted "240-S".
The dealer asks, "Why 'S'?"
The snail replies, "'S' stands for
snail. I want everybody who sees me
roaring past to know who's driving."
Well, the dealer doesn't want to lose
the unique opportunity to sell a car to a
snail, so he agrees to have the car
repainted for a small fee.
The snail gets his new car and spent
the rest of his days roaring happily down
the highway at top speed. And whenever
anyone would see him zooming by,
they'd say "Wow! Look at that S-car go!"
RUN FROM A BEAR
Two campers are walking through
the woods when a huge brown bear
suddenly appears in the clearing about
50 feet in front of them.
The bear sees the campers and
begins to head toward them.
The rst guys drops his backpack,
digs out a pair of sneakers and frantically
begins to put them on. The second guys
says, What are you doing? Sneakers
wont help you outrun that bear.
I dont need to outrun the bear,
the rst guy says. I just need to outrun
you.
Q: What do whales like to chew?
A: Blubber gum!
Q: What did the sh say when it hit
a concrete wall?
A: DAM
Q:Why do leopards have a hard
time hiding?
A:They are always spotted!
Q: What do you get when you cross
an elephant with an ant?
A: A dead ant.
Q: What do you get if you cross an
elephant with a whale?
A: A submarine with a built-in
snorkel.
Q: How do you know if there is an
elephant under the bed?
A: Your nose is touching the ceiling.
Thank you Jodie Blackney for
sending in some great jokes!
T
he mission Glen, if you wish
to take it, is to build a 6mx6m
enclosure for Black Cockatoos
and possibly some other wildlife. It
must be strong, easy to build, wildlife
friendly and have a double lockable
door setup.
What could I do, I cant run away
(I have too much work to be done) so
I accepted the mission, then a thick
white cloud of smoke appeared yep
Jo was lighting the wood heater again.
Now looking around at Glens
Good Stuff Pile I found a heap of
patio tube, some mesh 2.9mx2m high
with a mesh size of 50mmx50mm
(perfect). OK, now to commence.
Well sometimes its easier to have
things modular so have a look below,
soon a couple of panels were
assembled in no time.
OK how to join the top to the
bottom? Easy patio tube is so good
to work with as there are lots of
special connections that they make
just for it.
See the photos these are a U
section bracket all readily available
from patio or hardware stores. Tek
screw it to the top section, cut your
length for the height and just slide it
over and tek screw together Easy! Yes
Completed main enclosure 5.8mx5.8m and all meshed. Photo by Glen Burston
Glen Burston
Building a large enclosure
T TH HE E D D. .I I. .Y Y G GU UY Y
it is that easy Make two sides up.
The mesh can be screwed to the
patio tube with tek screws with a large
washer OR tek screws and mesh clips.
I had a big box of mesh clips just
crying out to be used. Two mesh
panels joined together came to 5.8m in
length which also was the particular
length of the patio tube, so how good
was that. I did not have to cut any of
the mesh.
Lay some ground mesh or heavy
duty chicken wire along the base.
I used the thicker style chicken
wire 900mm wide. About 1/3 inside
and 2/3 outside.
This will stop anything trying to
dig in and anything trying to get out.
Lay the panel over the top and make
sure you have something solid or
people to hold it in the vertical
position whilst the sides go on. A
tractor helps too.
Make up two doors. These were
again made from patio tube and can be
joined in the same manner with the U
sections or if a welder is handy (thats
me again) weld up a door frame and
hinge it. Tek screw some mesh on and
t a sliding bolt type latch (ours is
lockable) and all that sounded just too
easy didnt it... (Time so far two days
construction.)
Now add the entrance in the same
way, ours is 2m out and 2.9m long.
Back to the Good Stuff Pile for
some roof sheeting and guess what
Panel assembly. Photo by Glen Burston U section bracket detail. Photo by Glen Burston
Tek screw and mesh clip detail. Photo by Glen Burston Mesh clip detail. Photo by Glen Burston
they were 2.9m long, perfect to cover
half of the enclosure. Put some sides
on to stop some of the breeze coming
in and to also give some shelter from
the elements for the animals. I found
some dune coloured Colorbond for
the entrance roof and used another
piece of patio tube to raise the centre
for water runoff.
Make up a weighing /treatment/
food prep bench to work on. Some old
Jarrah oorboards just cleaned up and
screwed to more patio tube.
Have I told you have great this
stuff is to work with?
Now put a corner section inside
for a feeding bay.
Put some gravel in to allow for
drainage (it can get quite muddy here
in winter) to tidy it all up and there
you have it. Total handy man time ve
Weighing /treatment/food prep bench outside front door. Photo by Glen Burston Corner section inside for a feeding bay. Photo by Glen Burston
Laying thick chicken mesh under wall to stop digging in or out. Photo by Glen Burston Roof over entry has peak for water collection. Photo by Glen Burston
days (inbetween the Margaret River
and Nannup res). There is no reason
why you could not make it smaller or
even larger. Let your imagination run
wild.
Now stand back, enjoy the view
and have a cuppa and a home baked
bikkie (she was lighting that re for
some home fashioned cooking).
Hold on, we have to add some
hollows, some bush poles to nibble on,
a water bowl, etc, etc etc
My mission is now completed.
Whats next? Stay tuned...
Glen Burston is the creator of

Burston Blue Silicon Teats see their ad
on page 10.
He can be emailed at:
dollar.downs@bigpond.com
Finished walls and roof added for weather protection. Photo by Glen Burston
A black cockatoo chick.
Photo by Glen Burston
Although I loved art from a young age I
didnt start painting until later in life.
It was only while raising joeys that I tried try
my hand at painting because I wanted to capture
their beautiful nature.
I guess its no surprise I paint animals as I
have a great love for them. My husband and I
share our home with any animal that wanders in.
Ive been lucky enough to share with a sheep,
rabbits, ducks, kangaroos, birds, a goat, cats and
dogs. most of which Ive painted.
My paintings are not an exact replication of
the animal but Im trying to capture the
emotions I feel they project. The male kangaroo
was a laid back and self-assured kid and of course
emus are cheeky yet polite.
I display my art at the Leaping Lizards
Gallery and at the markets in Alice Springs,
Central Australia. You can also see more of my
art work at http://janinetchdesigns.com/
Colette: The most common cause of
scaly feet in birds in Australia is the
Knemidocoptes mite (also spelt
Cnemidokoptes).
Birds with a crusty cere (the upper
part of the beak that contains the bird's
nostrils, or nares), feet and or vent are
usually infested with the Knemidokoptes
mite. Most birds with this condition are
young (usually less than one year of age).
These mites do not cause pruritis
(itchiness) and cause a honeycomb type
appearance to the skin and cere.
Scrapings of the lesions and examination
of the crusts under the microscope will
show the mites.
The treatment of choice is
ivermectin or moxidectin - you need to
visit your veterinarian for treatment.
Treatment is often orally administered,
repeated at 10-14 day intervals until signs
decrease. Ivermectin can also be injected,
but treating these birds orally often
sufces. Treat all in contact birds also as
the mite spends its whole life cycle on the
bird and is transmitted between birds by
direct contact.
Without treatment this disease can
Ask Colette
Our resident vet is a
veterinarian with a keen
interest in wildlife.
Meet Colette Harmsen
Send in your question to
Colette the Vet
Email to: colette@wildliferescuemagazine.com
Q. My Tawny Frogmouth I am caring
for has scaly feet looks like mites
what would you suggest I do for it?
Q. What is the difference between a
Brushtail Possum and a Ringtail
Possum?
cause serious problems. Long-term
infestation may result in permanently
deformed beaks, which will require
periodic shaping with a grinding tool and
emery board.
This mite appears to be related to
the immune status of the bird and mites
that occur in older birds often indicate
some other underlying medical problem.
Return to your veterinarian if treatment
does not resolve the problem.
Knemidokoptes mite
Scaly leg mite
Scaly feet
Colette: The ringtail possum
(Pseudocheirus peregrinus) is a common
marsupial which lives in a variety of
habitats and eats a variety of leaves of
both native and introduced plants, as well
as owers and fruits. It is strictly
nocturnal and strongly arboreal and
constructs a nest called a drey.
Females give birth between April and
November, usually to two young which
remain in the pouch for about four
months. After this time the young often
ride on the mothers back. Ringtail
possums have a long coiled tail with short
hair and a white tip.
The brushtail possum (Trichosurus
vulpecula) is nocturnal and semi-arboreal
marsupial and is common in all states and
territories of Australia. It is larger than
the ringtail possum and less wary of
humans and adapts well to urban living.
As the name suggests, they have a rather
Ringtail possum.
Photo courtesy of Uni of SA
Brushtail possum.
Photo courtesy of Uni of SA
furry tail and they come in four colour
variations: silver grey, brown, black and
gold. Remember that brushtail possums,
like all Australian wildlife species, are
protected by law and cannot be taken,
trapped or killed except by permit.
Wattle with her son Watson. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
W
attle the wombat came to
our Strathewen Wildlife
Shelter in Victoria as a
very sick little wombat who had
obviously been orphaned for some
time.
Although she weighed 5 kilos she
had a huge abscess on the side of her
face probably caused by the bite from
a fox or dog and was unable to eat
properly. After a lot of care she began
to thrive and was raised with another
young female Eucalypt of similar
size, and a slightly larger male
Winston. When released they found
a large disused burrow in the Kinglake
National Park which borders our
property, and they shared that
communal burrow for more than a
year!
It was not unusual for them to
visit the back door hoping I might
come out with a carrot or some oats
and we were thrilled to see both
Wattie and Eucy with young joeys in
their pouches. Wattle will wait at the
back door and scratch if she has a tick
Sandi Kogtevs
Wattle and her wayward son
Watson!

on her to let me know I then search
and remove it for her! Just another
service we Shelter Operators offer :)
At this stage Wattle had grown into a
huge 40+ wombat!
During that time we had been
experiencing a very dry spell which
was broken by an incredible storm and
ash ooding and I worried how they
might be coping as their burrow was
close to the fast rising creek. I became
very alarmed when I went to
investigate a lot of hissing and
scratching on our door at 4am and
opened it to nd a very distressed
Wattle without her young joey who
was now too big for the pouch and
usually at heel. Grabbing a spotlight
and gumboots, I quickly threw a parka
over my nightgown and together we
searched along the creek bed and
throughout the sodden paddocks,
Wattle hissing madly and me calling
into the night. What a sight we must
have been the rain was relentless,
and startled kangaroos jumped across
the beam of the fast fading spotlight as
we desperately searched for the lost
joey. Eventually I had to return to the
house and I sadly sat in the kitchen
removing leeches from my legs and
awaiting the dawn so I could once
more continue the search. I held very
little hope for the lost baby, thinking it
probably slipped into the fast owing
creek and drowned ..when there was
a high pitched hiss at the back door
once more. You cannot imagine how
delighted I was to see Wattle standing
there with one very soaked and mud
covered little wombat! Grabbing a
towel I soon had the poor little thing
dry and warm and it was then that I
discovered that Wattles rst little joey
was a boy and decided we would call
him Watson.
She has gone on to have several
more joeys since then, some silver
grey like herself and others black like
Eucalypt and Winston, but none have
created such a scare as her wayward
son Watson!
Watson. Photo by Sandi Kogtevs
V
O
T
E
Andrea Devos
Motion activated infrared cameras
T
his is not an article on the best
camera out there instead
these are true comments
about people's experiences with their
camera that they have purchased we
asked some of them where they
purchased it from.
Most pics here are from the
Scoutguard mainly because this is
the majority of pics sent to me I am
requesting pics from the Bushnell and
any other cameras for comparison for
the next article.
In the next issue we will be doing
a follow-up article about extensions for
these cameras and more comparisons
and we hope that many readers will
email me directly with your
experiences and photos: email me at
andrea@wildliferescuemagazine
.com.au so you can be in our next
issue.
The idea for this article came
from a conversation on a fabulous
wildlife forum called
Ozark. A wonderful
person Jim Pollock
was looking for a prize
for the exciting Wildlife Conference
coming up soon from 16-20 July at
Townsville, we are proud sponsors of
this conference (can't
wait for it, I will be
there, hope to meet
you) - for more information go to
their website: http://www.awrc.org.au/
Here is some very interesting and
true comments made both on the
Ozark website and others were
emailed to me directly. (Some were
very long and had to be edited)
I have had great
success with the
ScoutGuard
camera purchased from Outdoor
Cameras. Was very happy with the
price, everything I needed was
included, it takes either a series of
still shots or a short video during
the day and night, batteries last
well, it's easy to use, etc. Was also
very happy with the customer
service from the company we
purchased it from (via mail order).
We strapped the ScoutGuard to a
tree near the door of our soft-
release enclosure to collect
evidence on two wallabies we
released at our place this time last
year. I learned so much about their
movements and behaviour during
the release process (it records date
and time on the photos/videos)
and I also caught out the local
possums and bronze wing pigeons
pinching the wallaby food!
I also noticed that some of the
uni's conducting remote sensing
fauna / pest studies have chosen to
use this model camera for their
work.
Regards, Renee Chamberlin
Teacher - Animal & Environmental Studies
- Metropolitan South Institute of TAFE
Hi, I have the Swann infrared
cameras that transmit back to a
unit that attaches to your TV.
They work OK if there is a good
line of sight between the two, but
my aviaries are behind some
colorbond sheds, so don't work
because they don't transmit
through metal/colorbond. So
can't sit inside and watch what's
going on in the aviary! Because of
this issue I don't use them much at
all. Most useful if you want to
keep an eye on animals in a room
in the house without going in there
all the time. If I wanted to use
them outside I'd have to have them
transmitting to a TV/recorder
placed outside in line of sight that
wasn't interrupted by colorbond/
metal sheds, and watch at a later
time.
- Joy Godkin
As organic banana growers, it is
important to identify pest species
before any attempt to discourage
their predations in a humane and
non toxic method may commence.
We had previously purchased a
ScoutGuard camera from a dealer
and found it indispensable in our
operation, but when we inquired
about a bulk order discount, it only
seemed to tickle his sense of
humour. We went to Wildlife
Monitoring and
found their list
prices more
reasonable and they
offer a genuine
discount for bulk orders, we nd
Scoutguard to be our choice.
Terry QLD
Hi Andrea, I have investigated
these cameras extensively and been
using them for some years now
Outdoor trail and security cameras
its what we do, its all we do.
Fox with Echidna. Photograph by Georgeanna Story. ScoutGuard SG 550V8
and I have found the cameras do
mostly what they claim, we have
three brands and we have also
discovered by using them that we
know very little about what goes
on in the bush, we have of course
suspected things like ferals (cats,
foxes) but now we have the pics
and a lot more to show us what is
really going on. We are also
involved with wombats, I have nine
at the moment at various stages
and we do what we call supported
release, this is where we release
into a national park and continue
to help them adjust by food drops
and water until they get their
bearings and learn to adjust to
different food types, terrain and
noises etc, this can take months
and is not always successful but
with the cameras we can keep track
of them. Our group has just started
up a mange management program
for wombats in our area, that is
another story. Our brands are
Scout Guard, Ltl Acorn 940nm
(the best) and a Moultrie all do
what they claim but I think the
Acorn gives us the best pics to date.
John Merrick
Maryknoll Wildlife Shelter
Outdoor trail & security cameras
www.wildlifemonitoring.com.au
A nightvision pic (InfraRed) of a rat (Moultrie) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and the
Feral Cat InfraRed (Moultrie) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and the Maryknoll
Wildlife Shelter
Dingoes Reconyx HC600 Photo courtesy Gary Lukritz
Ive been using different types of IR
hunting cameras now for over 10
years dealing in both wildlife
related works and feral animal
management. Ive used other well
known brand hunting cams and
have personally seen the
ScoutGuard over the last two years
outshine these other cameras in
many ways where they suffered
with wiring problems to moisture
problems, hard to program and at
time cantankerous. ScoutGuard are
easy to operate, half the price,
excellent picture speed and quality
and a lot smaller for those discreet
locations. I run with 12 and am very
happy with their product. I choose
to buy mine from
Outdoor Cameras
Australia.
Michael Dickinson,
Aust Wildlife & Feral Management
Brushtail Possums taken by a ScoutGuard InfraRed (NightVision) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and
the Maryknoll Wildlife Shelter
Yellow-tailed black cockatoo (Scoutguard) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and the
I just bought an infra red (12
megapixel wildlife camera trap
LTL12) from a Melbourne
company called Wildguard and I
found the company when I
Googled for a camera for 'stalking'
my released wildlife. It's simple and
very easy to use camera. It comes
with cables for a TV connection
and a USB cable for a PC. It uses
AA batteries and produces nice and
clear pics. There is also a video
function on it which I haven't used
yet AND it's cheap you can get it
at a price of around $200. Worth it,
I think.
Cheers Maren Goerne
Lake St Clair, Tasmania
This camera (ScoutGuard SG560)
is a very easy to use and compact
camera. Only took me only about
15 mins to work out the functions
of this very practical and affordable
camera. I then spent the next half
hour working out its range when
taking photos and video and not
only was I surprised at the
distances it was taking the photos
at but the quality of the pictures in
comparison to some of the more
expensive cameras of other brands.
As expected the images are clearer
and out to further
distances in the
bright of the day
however the images
in the darkness are
still of good quality being quite
clear. I bought mine from Wildlife
Monitoring.
Ben
ScoutGuard day pic. Photo courtesy John Merrick and the Maryknoll Wildlife Shelter
Monitor - (Scoutguard) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and the Maryknoll Wildlife
Shelter
I use a Stealth cam prowler. Takes
pictures 1-9 shots "or" video up to 90
seconds. You can program it to sleep
for whatever time so that you don't get
1,000 pictures a night. And yes I have
done that 2,000 pictures actually.
Has great resolution too. About
US$250 and about US$50 freight. It
does colour in daylight and B&W
night time infrared. Has a SD card so
you open the box take one out and
insert another SD card then back to
the computer. Great for bush work or
just hanging in an enclosure. Very
portable. The SD card is easy to use
delete what you don't want and just
copy over [well click and drag] to a le
if you do.
The batteries last well - I have had
over 6 months out of it. Made in "I
Meri Can" [US of A] and can vouch
for the quality.
They also have some great automatic
feeders and we use one of them too.
If you are talking a local camera where
power is available then any of the
security stuff on Ebay will work but
you will need to get the driver going
on your computer to run it all and
have the disc space for video etc.
Wireless usually only works to about
30m and you have to have clear line of
sight. You will need power where the
cameras will be too... I have never
found a power point on a tree yet. Still
searching for them.
Watching the red robins eating bugs
and dodging the blue wrens.
Kind Regards Glen Burston
We're using the Reconyx at present
surveying miniature population of
wallabies in the Perth northern
suburbs. Works well and easy to set
up.
Marg WA
Tasdevil Reconyx Night Vision Photo courtesy Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary Tasdevil2 Reconyx Day Vision Photo courtesy Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Roo ght - Reconyx HC600 Photo courtesy Michael Brennan
Motion sensing cameras purchased
from Outdoor Cameras Australia
have proven to be an essential tool
for my work to manage feral
animals. Recently I have been
catching and rehoming feral horses
to reduce the risk of collisions
between horses and vehicles. I use
ScoutGuard SG550 cameras to
identify individual horses, study
their movement patterns and
record their behaviour during
trapping, mustering, loading and
transport. Viewing the videos helps
improve the next muster or
trapping operation.
The cameras help monitor the
number of horses in an area and let
me know when horses are entering
traps or muster areas. I also use the
cameras for security protecting my
portable panels and other
equipment. I have been re -
searching and managing feral
animals (feral horses, camels, pigs,
dogs, and rabbits) for almost 30
years. I think these cameras will
replace many of our traditional
monitoring methods. They make
my work so much easier and the
staff at Outdoor
Cameras Australia
are always helpful
with advice on how
best to use the cameras.
Dave Berman,
Sunset Downs, Toowoomba, Qld
I have been using ScoutGuard
(SG550V8) cameras for a while for
monitoring activity on my
property from who drives through
gates, near sheds to what animal
has been eating feed from troughs.
The cameras have also been good
for feral animal control as they are
used to photograph pest animals
eating at baiting stations where
1080 is used. Especially feral pigs
as the cameras have photographed
up to 40 in one group. The
cameras catch pictures and movies
during the day and night. I have
recently ordered 31 more and in
fact even my neighbours have
caught on and are using them as
well. Highly recommended and
Damian (from Outdoor Cameras
Australia) is great to deal with as
well.
Frank Mugica,
Farmer, Dalbeg North Queensland
I was impressed with the
ScoutGuard motion activated
cameras we got from Outdoor
Cameras Australia. I have used and
bought other similar types but
different brand cameras recently so
I'm in a good position to make a
comparison.The advantages of the
ScoutGuard camera:
1. I waited a month for the other
brand and two days for the
Scoutguards after ordering; Wombat coming out of its burrow (Scoutguard) Photograph courtesy John Merrick and the
InfraRed Wombat (Scoutguard SG550V8) Photogrpah courtesy Georgeanna Story
2. Scoutguard is half the size, its
more solid, more rugged and
camouaged;
3. For the same price they provide
all the security equipment which
is also camouaged; and
4. Battery life is at 80 days+
compared to 30.
Dave, Central Queensland Pest
Management Ofcer
Spoke with the persons (they work
for WWF) and they have been
using trail cameras for a number of
years. The one they recommend is
the Bushnells Trophy Cam, the
latest is the model 119467c, these
retail in Australia from $480 to
$600 or if you like buying overseas
around $350 US. The Bushnells
seem to be the easier one to use and
the latest ones have video with
sound recording which makes the
video much more interesting. The
only thing wrong with the Bushnell
is they have a mounting hole in the
base, if your camera is likely to be
ooded, ll it with silicon, they
found out the hard way. Something
to note, I have an cheap Chinese
made Tasco, it uses movement and
a heat source to trigger, I am unable
to lm small animals as the heat
source is insufcient to trigger the
camera, so buying the higher
quality is the way to go.
Brian Foley
Just received a ScoutGuard camera
this morning from the business
wildlifemonitoring.com.au. The
security box and
python lock are a
fantastic touch and
are exactly what we
needed ... We have
used many types of wildlife
monitoring cameras before and
have never really had good results
with any of them. The scout guard
cameras are fantastic, they take
extremely good shots, are very user
friendly and are very maneuverable
and easy to secure.
Kyle
I have a ScoutGuard (I get a lot of
laughs playing back the antics from
the nocturnal antics in the aviaries)
and was interested in doing a
comparison between it and the
Bushnell. This site gives a good
comparison - I found out both are
made by the same company.
There are a good list of
comparisons and other good info
on the website
www.trailcampro.com/bushnelltro
phycamvsscoutguardsg550.aspx
Regards Donna Anthony
Wildlife Volunteers Assoc Inc
(Sunshine Coast)
ScoutGuard day pic. Photo courtesy John Merrick and the Maryknoll Wildlife Shelter
ScoutGuard night pic. Photo courtesy John Merrick and the Maryknoll Wildlife Shelter
Well I hope the information here
has been useful and I am looking
forward to putting together another
article on the subject this article will
feature a very special use of wildlife
cameras extensions in the nest boxes,
hollows, down pipes etc.. Stay tuned
and please if you have any pictures or
stories you can donate for this
following article we want to hear from
you contact me directly at
Thank-you to all those who
donated stories and pictures for this
article and a special big thank-you to
John Merrick from Maryknoll Wildlife
Shelter who donated the majority of
pictures and took my phone calls and
answered my many questions.
Fox (Scoutguard SG550V8) Photograph courtesy Rick Galbraith
DPIPWE
Foxes: a serious threat to our
wildife and Tasmanian enterprises
T
asmania is recognised
internationally as an
important wildlife haven.
Island isolation has protected our
diverse and unique native wildlife from
most of the threats experienced on
mainland Australia.
For
instance,
Tasmania is the
nal refuge for a
long list of
species that have
succumbed to
predation by the
European Red
Fox (Vulpes
vulpes),
including the
eastern barred
bandicoot and
the eastern
quoll, that are in
critically low
numbers or
extinct on the
mainland.
Historical
records indicate that foxes have been
introduced into Tasmania on a number
of occasions, purposefully and
accidently. Thankfully, a breeding
population has not yet established in
Tasmania.
If foxes gain a foothold in
Tasmania over 70 native species would
be at risk of local or state-wide
extinction, including the Tasmanian
devil, bettong, long nosed potoroo,
eastern quoll and the little penguin.
In addition to the loss of our
iconic wildlife, if foxes were to
establish in Tasmania, the nancial
impact on the agricultural sector is
likely to be substantial.
Foxes kill around 10% of lambs
Australia-wide. Recent research
indicates that kill rates may be as high
as 30% on the mainland. Foxes are
also known to devastate poultry, attack
adult sheep, goats, even prey on cattle
during birth.
Horticultural industries also suffer
from fox activity.
Vineyards, for instance, experience
loss of fruit, either directly eaten by
foxes or through damage, rendering
the product unsaleable. Foxes damage
infrastructure, such as irrigation pipes,
plastic sprinklers and drippers, likely
to result in high replacement costs.
It is estimated that foxes cost the
Australian economy over $200M
annually, with a large part of this
damage cost quantied in
environmental terms (source: Invasive
Animals Cooperative Research Centre,
Canberra).
By protecting Tasmania from an
established fox population, through
the work of the Fox Eradication
Program (FEP), the likely damage
costs avoided to the State and the
environment is over $20 million
dollars a year.
Eradication is a shared
responsibility. We must stop foxes
from establishing. We need the
community to work with the FEP to
rid foxes from the State, and to
support measures to prevent future
incursions of foxes into Tasmania.
Help Tasmania to be become and
remain fox free. Please report all
possible sightings or fox activity to the
24hr HOTLINE 1300 FOX OUT
(1300 369 688).
For more information please
contact the FEP on 03 6336 5320 or
visit our website
www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fox
Elizabeth Cogley
Australian
Wildlife Artist
My Hollow My Home
Australian Lace Monitor Mixed Media Size 63x94cm by Elizabeth Cogley (Varanus var-
ius) Australian Monitor Lizard
As he poses so majestically for a moment or two in his beautiful habitat, we capture a
glimpse and a sense of his world. Then he vanishes again into the Australian bush. E.Cogley
This painting was a Finalist in the 2011 The Waterhouse Natural History Art Prize
South Australian Museum and also received a Highly Commended in
The Wildlife Art Society of Australia Wild Awards Exhibition 2011
www.ozwildart.com
I
received a phone call one
afternoon about 5pm from a very
distraught lady. She said they had
found a tiny koala baby on the ground
with no sign of her mum.
The lady went on to tell me that
they had phoned Daisy Hill Koala
Centre (a local Parks & Wildlife
Government run centre that has paid
Rangers that rescue koalas only).
She spoke to one of the Rangers
and was told that they nished work
12 mins ago and she would need to
nd a volunteer to help her. This is
when I come into the story.
I headed out to their house to see
what I could do. Upon getting to the
large property, we had to go back to
the area where they had found little
'Joey' the tiny koala baby.
Searching around for a while I
spotted a koala high up in a gum tree
fast asleep. Hoping I was right I went
and got the baby koala who we had
named Joey'.
The Good Samaritan family of six
now stayed back and slightly hidden
from what we hoped was little 'Joey's'
mum.
I took little Miss Joey and put her
at the base of the tree where the koala
was sleeping. I gave her a few gentle
Little Joey
Terri Eather
A koala baby named Joey
prods to get her to squeal and
hopefully wake up mum and get her to
come down the tree.
It took a few more gentle prods
and squeals and suddenly mum was
descending the tree at the speed of
light, with me making a very hasty
retreat behind another tree.
The obvious mum came down,
our little 'Joey' was frantic to nd her
mum's pouch as she was VERY thirsty.
Little 'Joey' drank for what
seemed ages and then climbed on to
mums back and the two headed back
up the tree.
The seven humans (including me)
watched in awe as this wonderful
miracle happened......... the reuniting
of a koala mum and Joey.
Little Joey
V
O
T
E
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Enjoy bottled water?
You may be in for a few surprises. For one, commercially
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what the advertising says. A lot of it comes straight from a
municipal water source. And in blind taste tests, even expensive
bottled products often rank behind ordinary tap water.
http://www.bestwaterinyourglass.com/
ROBIN
WINGRAVE
Natural History Artist
Sugar Glider
Limited edition print
(Without matting) - $70.00
Limited edition print
(matted) - $90.00
A portfolio of finely detailed graphite pencil drawings or
watercolour and oil paintings depicting the natural world of
Australia.
Available for purchase direct from the artist.
winart26@gmail.com
03 6334 9261
www.robinwingrave.com
I
n captivity the Tawny Frogmouth
is generally a very placid bird and
can be categorised as low risk/
innocuous.
However in certain circumstances
they may become unafraid of humans
and even aggressive at feeding times,
swooping at and attempting to bite a
keepers head. The beak of a Tawny
Frogmouth is broad and has quite a
powerful bite. Furthermore the tip of
the beak curves down to a sharp point
which could break the skin if one is
bitten. The greatest danger would be
if an aggressive bird were to attack the
face of a keeper. This could result in
eye damage however it is very rare for
a Tawny Frogmouth to display such
extreme aggressive behaviour.
Many Tawny Frogmouths in
captivity require hand feeding. This is
due to the fact that Tawny
Frogmouths in the wild often use their
camouage and sit still waiting for
food to come to them. However in
some instances they can be seen
hunting ying insects that have been Tawny frogmouth babies in care. Photographed by David Joyce
Andrea Devos
The tawny frogmouth
The taxonomic family name for
Tawny Frogmouth is Podargus
strigoides (Aves: Podargidae)
attracted by articial light sources.
The necessity of hand feeding can
present risks to the feeder especially if
the bird displays aggressive behaviour.
Precautions can be taken such as the
wearing of leather gloves to prevent a
miss directed bite from injuring the
keeper. For more aggressive Tawny
Frogmouth individuals which y at the
keeper, conditioning can be employed.
Such techniques can be as simple as
gently picking up the bird off the
ground after it has swooped and
placing it backwards on the perch
before feeding. In this way after a
short period of time the bird will learn
that feeding will only take place when
it is sitting on its perch.
The Tawny Frogmouth is not
classied as a threatened species.
Furthermore in Australia there are
currently no standards for the
exhibition of Caprimulgiformes
(nightjars).
There are no management
strategies for wild populations for the
Tawny Frogmouth as these birds are
very common and widespread across
all of Australia.
The most frequently used
common name for Podargus strigoides
other than Tawny Frogmouth is
Mopoke, which it shares with the
Boobook Owl (Ninox
novaeseelandiae).
Other names include: Freckled
Frogmouth, Moreport, Night Hawk
Three tawnys in care Photograph by David Joyce
and Short Winged Podargus.
Podargus strigoides was rst
classied in 1801 by an ornithologist
named John Latham. These birds are
often mistaken for an owl because they
both are nocturnal, eat insects, have
large eyes and soft feathers for silent
ight as well as having bristles or
"whiskers" around their bills.
However Podargus strigoides are
in fact a Frogmouth. Frogmouths are
the largest of the Nightjar family. The
Tawny Frogmouth differs from owls in
several ways; Tawny Frogmouths do
not possess strong legs and powerful
talons like an owl and instead, prefer
to catch their prey with their beak.
Owls will eat animals and birds up
to their own size and sometimes larger,
while frogmouths are almost
exclusively insectivorous. The eyes on
an Owl face fully forward whilst
frogmouths' eyes face mostly to the
side.
Owls have either a full or partial
facial disk, while frogmouths do not.
Owls have large asymmetrical ears,
while frogmouths do not and owls
have twelve tail feathers whilst
frogmouths have ten.
Tawny Frogmouths are noted for
their outstanding camouage, which
helps protect them from predators
during the day. When roosting during
daylight hours a Tawny Frogmouth
will stretch itself out amongst the
branches and remain motionless,
appearing to blend in with its
surroundings. A Tawny Frogmouth
prefers to hunt by remaining
motionless in a tree and observing
ground dwelling insects and rodents.
When they see an insect or small
rodent, they pounce on it from above
and attack using their beak. Tawny
A Tawny frogmouth's eyes are more on
the side of their head, unlike an owls,
they face fully forward. Photograph by
David Joyce
Frogmouths are also known in some
cases to actively hunt large moths and
other ying insects which have been
attracted by articial light sources in
suburban areas. They catch these
insects in their beaks mid-ight. The
beak and mouth of a Tawny
Frogmouth is signicantly different to
those of owls in that they are much
larger relative to the size of the birds
head. Frogmouths have wide gapes,
revealing a deep yellow mouth and
throat and is similar in appearance to
that of a frog, hence the name
'frogmouth'.
Tawny Frogmouth in camouage mode. Photograph by David Joyce
During nesting, only the male
attends the nest and incubates the eggs
in the day. By night, both male and
female remain on the nest. The males
only leave briey for a few hours each
night to feed before returning to the
nest. Once the eggs had hatched, the
males and females alternate roles
periodically, taking it in turns to hunt
from nearby trees. Incubation lasts
between 28 and 30 days and the mass
of new hatchlings are approximately
19g. The young gain on average 8.3g
per day and mass increased in a linear
fashion until edging.
Tawny Frogmouth in camouage mode at the Wings Wildlife Park Tasmania.
Photo by Andrea Devos
Inside a tawny frogmouth's mouth is yellow and has an appearance of a frog, hence the
name frogmouth. Young chick in care. Photo by David Joyce
Fledging occurrs simultaneously
for siblings between 26 and 30 days
after hatching. At the point of edging
the chicks had a mass of about 250g.
In some cases the younger sibling
roosted on the ground for several days,
because they cannot y strongly.
The Tawny Frogmouth males and
females share almost identical
plumage. However, slight colour
variations between males and females
in the subspecies P. s.
strigoides have been
noted where males are
almost always grey and
females may have a
slight chestnut colour.
Sexual differences can
also be distinguished by
examining the shape of
their beaks. The beak
of a male is often
atter, more exposed
and triangular in shape than that of a
female. As well as this, signicant size
and weight differences exist between
the sexes. These can be very
differences are difcult to distinguish
when there arent two birds of
opposite sex, sitting together for
comparison and even then, one would
have to get close enough to the birds
to examine them in more detail.
Furthermore these dimorphic
characteristics cannot be relied upon
in all cases to determine the sex of
individuals.
DISTINGUISHING FEATURES
There are no outstanding markings
and Tawny Frogmouths are softly
mottled grey and brown above,
often with more brown on the
shoulders and wing-coverts. The
wing quills are dark brown with
white spots and are only visible
when the wings are spread. The tail
is grey with dark grey to brown
bars. Underparts are grey with
darker streaks. The bill
is broad and hooked
and in some cases can
be almost hidden by
long facial bristles. An
alternate plumage
phase can occur where
the grey parts are
replaced by red-brown
colours.
The eye of a Tawny
Frogmouth is yellow as
is the inside of the mouth and
throat. However across some of the
sub-species the eye colour can vary
from a pale yellow to a deep
orange.
Tawny Frogmouths in the northern
parts of Australia are often smaller
than their counterparts in south
eastern regions.
Australia is home to two other
species of Frogmouth. These are
the Papuan Frogmouth, P.
papuensis, which is conned to the
Cape York Peninsula and is larger,
Wingspan:
Males up to 570mm
Females up to 520mm
Beak Length:
Males 60-65mm
Females 5862mm
Head to Tail Body
Length:
435515mm.
A female tends to have a slight chestnut colour (on left) the male is more grey (right).
Photo by Andrea Devos
with an orange-red eye. The other
species is the Marbled Frogmouth,
P. ocellatus, which is similar in size
to the Tawny Frogmouth, however
is only found in the rainforests of
far north Queensland and on the
Queensland-New South Wales
border. The Marbled Frogmouth
has an orange-yellow eye both the
Marbled and Papuan Frogmouths
are found also in New Guinea.
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT
The Tawny Frogmouth prefers to
live in wooded areas that contain
clearings. They can however be found
at the fringes of wet tropical forests,
and occasionally in trees in urban
areas, parks and even gardens. Tawny
Frogmouths however avoid dense
rainforests which can inhibit their
hunting ability and treeless deserts.
During the day they roost in trees
using their colouring and body shape
to camouage themselves against the
branches.
The Tawny Frogmouth is
widespread and can be found
throughout almost all of the Australian
mainland and Tasmania. As well as
this, they have been recorded on
several Australian off shore islands.
The widespread use of insecticides
and rodent poisons pose a signicant
risk to the Tawny Frogmouth. Often
the poison that is used to kill these
perceived pests can still be present
when they are consumed by a Tawny
Frogmouths. This frequently results in
the death of the bird as a result of the
toxins in the rodents or insects.
Furthermore Tawny Frogmouths
are slow to return to ight after
landing on the ground or perching.
This combined with their preferred
method of hunting ground dwelling
prey, makes them vulnerable to attack
from introduced predators such as
foxes and cats. As well as this, the
insects which are often attracted by
street lamps and car headlights have a
tendency to attract Tawny Frogmouths
as well, resulting in the injury and
often death of birds from the collision.
The Tawny Frogmouth maximum
ages ranged from 12 to 14 years.
Tawny Frogmouths do not use
hollows in tree trunks for either
nesting or roosting, as a result, in
The eye of a tawny frogmouth is large and orange. Photograph by David Joyce Cherry picker truck. Photo by David Joyce
David Joyce who cares for Tawny Frogmouths in Tasmania. He hired a cherry picker and
put a tawny frogmouth chick back into the nest of a very large tree. The chick had fallen
from the nest the night before in a storm. The mother accepted the chick back and David
was delighted to see that his chick was a twin. To view a short video of the chick being
put back into the taken by David one handed please click here
http://wildliferescuemagazine.com/tawny-video---returning-chick-to-nest.html
The little tawny frogmouth chick who had been blown out from under her mother during
a storm the night before
The height of the tree that the nest is in where the tawny frogmouth chick had to be
returned to after the wind blew it out the previous night. A brave man David Joyce takes
a ride up in a cherry picker to do the job. Photo by David Joyce
A Tawny Frogmouths nest. Photo by David Joyce
captivity they do not need to be
provided with a nest box. In the wild, a
Tawny Frogmouth pair will construct
their nests in the forks of trees. These
nests are often of imsy construction,
being little more than a collection of
stick and leaves which have been
bundled together and arranged in the
shape of a nest. The size of the nest
itself often depends on the size of the
branches in which it is being built,
however on average they are around
30 cm in diameter. The loose stick
used in the construction, are often not
much thicker than 5-6 mm and are
piled across each other. The centre of
the nest is often slightly depressed and
is composed of leaf litter and grass
stems to soften it. Often Tawny
Frogmouths will reuse the same
nesting site, or used the discarded
nests of other birds, provided that they
are large enough. In captivity it is
necessary to provide the raw nesting
materials as well as a secure branch in
which they can construct their nest.
The fork in the branch must be close
to the trunk and it would be
advantageous to secure a small plastic
or ceramic dish in this position, upon
which the birds can construct their
nest. Being positioned close to the
trunk of the tree, allows the Tawny
Frogmouths to feel safer and
camouaged up against it as they
incubate the eggs.
HYGIENE AND CLEANING
Tawny Frogmouths spend much
of their time in the branches or on
perches above the ground. It is
therefore vital to the health of these
birds that the perches are kept clean.
After a few days of housing a new
Tawny Frogmouth it will become clear
where the birds favourite perching
sites are. These must be cleaned on a
daily basis, being sure to remove all
excrement that has accumulated. It is
preferable that these favoured perches,
be scrubbed and disinfected at least on
a weekly basis to prevent the build up
of bacteria and parasites which could
intern infect the bird. Other perches
should be washed down and scrubbed
with water to remove any faecal matter
on a daily basis to maintain a hygienic
environment and disinfected at least
once a fortnight. The use of bleach as
a disinfecting agent is not
recommended as any traces could
adversely affect the relatively soft feet
of a Tawny Frogmouth. Milder agents
such as diluted eucalyptus disinfectant
should be used. All disinfecting agents
must be washed off the perches and
surfaces once they have been cleaned.
RECORD KEEPING
It is important that healthy and
injured Tawny Frogmouths that are
being kept in captivity, either for
display or to nurse back to health, are
monitored closely. Furthermore, the
Quite often a tawny
frogmouth has had a collision and
is concussed, with possible brain
damage and unfortunately has to
be put down but in many cases
this is not so.
When a tawny comes into
care HOPEFULLY it has been
placed into a box with a cover
over it so it is nice and dark and it
has been kept quiet.
How to decide how damaged
mentally the Tawny frogmouth is?
When a Tawny Frogmouth comes
into care if brought in by a
member of the public they have
usually been sitting quietly in a
dark box so the carer needs to
determine the amount of damage
one way of doing this is to see
how the bird reacts to a feeding
gesture
Place your hand into the box
and softly rufe the long feathers
on the crown (above the beak) of
the tawny if the tawny opens
their beak in a gesture of wanting
to be fed or in aggression this is
a good sign if they dont then
take your ngers and rufe the
feathers under the beak and look
for a reaction.
A tawny frogmouth will open its beak when it has had its feathers on the crown softly
rufed. Photo by David Joyce
ability to detect any deterioration in
health as soon as possible, allows for
immediate treatment to begin,
hopefully before it is too late. All
records about injured Tawny
Frogmouths or any birds for that
matter should include the following
information:
Date animal was found
Where it was found
Species In this case Tawny
Frogmouth, but if identication is
incorrect then the treatment (in the
case of an injured bird) and\or diet
that follows may very well do more
harm than good.
Estimated age and weight
Weight is often a good indication
of the health of a bird. For instance
if a bird in a captive situation is
under weight than it is a good
indication that it has not been
feeding correctly and steps must be
taken to rectify the problem.
Injuries and their possible causes
Tawny Frogmouths are
frequently injured by vehicles in
urban areas as they attempt to catch
insects on the road which have been
attracted by street lights and car
headlights. This often results in
many Tawny Frogmouths being
taken into captivity for treatment.
Date of release
Method of release
Release site
Feed intake it is important to
Ruby with a tawny frogmouth Photo by David Joyce
know if an injured or captive bird is
eating. Often, individual meals may
be too large or the bird could be
refusing food resulting in the need
to re-evaluate the feeding regime.
Body measurements Are often
to determine if the bird is a sub-
species or a juvenile.
Toileting
Unusual behaviour Records
detailing characteristics such as
ight ability and enthusiasm for
food, can provide an important
indication on the rate of recovery.
Diet A specic diet may be
required for the bird based on age,
weight and or nutritional needs
which may have resulted from
starvation or poisoning.
Veterinary care Detailing what
care has been given and in the case
of some form of transfer or
different member of staff taking
over, what future care is
recommended or needed.
DIET IN THE WILD
The wild diet of The Tawny
Frogmouth can be quite varied
depending on the time of year and the
availability of food. The majority of
this diet however consists of
invertebrates such as snails, slugs,
cockroaches, moths, millipedes,
centipedes and Christmas beetles.
As much as 78% of the natural
diet of the Tawny Frogmouth is
insects, with spiders and centipedes
making up only 18%. The remaining
4% consist of terrestrial vertebrates
such as frogs, lizards and mice.
CAPTIVE DIET
In captivity, the diet of a Tawny
Frogmouth is often quite simple,
consisting of whole mice, cut up day
old chicks, insects such as mealworms,
crickets and cockroaches, and a variety
of meat mixes which will be discussed
later. Most institutions feed these birds
almost entirely on cut up day old
chicks or adult mice.
However it should be noted that
Tawny Frogmouths are primarily
Weighing a tawny frogmouth chick in care. Photograph by David Joyce
Tawnys need roughage in their
food to help the crop expel food
through its digest system
chopped up feathers with
scissors is a good roughage
egg shells which have been
dried out in the oven and
crushed up is also a good
roughage and necessary for
calcium to help your bird with
gut ora it is a good idea to add
acidophilus powder about once
a week.
Tawny Frogmouth with a broken wing, strapped and on the mend
Photograph by David Joyce
insectivorous, as such, their diet in
captivity should consist primarily of
small invertebrates.
Being nocturnal birds, Tawny
Frogmouths should be fed at night, in
order to try and simulate the natural
feeding cycle of the animal.
However this is not always
practical and in such cases it is
recommended that Tawny
Frogmouths be fed either in the early
morning or late afternoon.
When feeding meat mix to a
Tawny Frogmouth, there are several
ways of preparing it.
The following are three examples
of meat mixes which are utilised by the
Queensland Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) as a portion of the diet
for Tawny Frogmouths.
The rst mix consists of:
100g low fat mince (preferably
preservative free, minced up heart
is best);
1 nely chopped hard-boiled egg
(include the nely ground shell);
1 heaped tablespoon of Wombaroo
Insectivore mix .
The second mix contains:
100g low fat mince (minced heart is
best);
1 nely chopped hard-boiled egg
(include the nely ground shell);
1 heaped teaspoon of ground dog
kibble;
1 heaped teaspoon of unprocessed
bran;
Small pieces of heart rolled in insectivore mix. Photo by David Joyce
1 pinch of calcium powder; and
1 pinch of bird multivitamin.
1 heaped tablespoon of Wombaroo
Insectivore mix .
The third mix:
Is somewhat simpler, consisting of
small pieces of heart which have been
rolled in a small coating of insectivore
mix.
Tawny Frogmouths are very
efcient at regulating body water
levels and as a result, they do not need
to drink, instead getting all the water
they need from their food. Therefore
it is vitally important that food items
such as meat mix are dipped in water
prior to being fed to the bird.
SUPPLEMENTS
Few supplements are required for
a Tawny Frogmouth as their food
generally consists of whole animals,
which provide calcium in the bones
and many vitamins in the bodily
organs. However when feeding meat
mix, it is recommended that calcium
supplements be added. The addition of
multivitamins to frozen food items is
especially important in order to
replace vitamins in the food that have
been destroyed by the freezing
process.
PRESENTATION OF FOOD
The presentation of food items for
Tawny Frogmouths is fairly crucial. In
captivity it is very difcult to simulate
the natural feeding behaviour of these
birds. As a result it is often necessary
to hand feed them. This can be
achieved by placing the food directly
above the birds head. In most cases a
Tawny Frogmouth will open its mouth
(gape) when food is placed above
them, in which case one simply needs
to place the food item in the birds
mouth. It should then swallow the
food item whole.
In some circumstances a Tawny
Frogmouth may not gape at the food
item that is being presented. In this
case one should stroke the bristles
which protrude from the top of the
birds beak. At this a Tawny
Frogmouth will gape only briey, but
this should be sufcient to place the
food in its mouth.
TIMING OF CAPTURE AND
HANDLING
Tawny Frogmouths are active
during the night and roost in the trees
during the day. Attempting to capture
these birds when they are most active
is quite difcult and can be quite
stressful to them. However during the
day as they are roosting, Tawny
Frogmouths will rarely move from
their perch even if touched or
threatened, as they attempt to
camouage themselves against their
surroundings.
Performing the capture and
handling of Tawny Frogmouths during
the day (preferably early morning) is
far easier for the keepers involved and
less stressful on the bird and can
generally be achieved in a relatively
short space of time.
CATCHING BAGS
Catching bags can be employed
for Tawny Frogmouths when
performing tasks such as examinations
and banding in the eld. The bags
should be constructed of a nylon fabric
that is loose enough to allow for
sufcient air ow. The preferable size
is about that of a normal pillow case
which will allow for sufcient material
to be used for restrain if necessary.
CAPTURE AND RESTRAINT
TECHNIQUES
Although often mistaken for an
owl, Tawny Frogmouths have a
signicant physiological difference in
that they lack sharp, powerful talons.
In reality the feet and legs of a Tawny
Frogmouths are quite weak and are
used by the birds for little more than
securing themselves on a perch. The
most hazardous part of a Tawny
Frogmouths anatomy is its beak which
comes to a sharp point on its time and
had the ability to clamp down on an
object.
A manner to forcefeed a
tawny cut pieces of a beef heart
into triangles, if the bird will not
open its beak, you wil need to pull
open its beak, from above and
below the beak, pull open then
stick in your nger so it can't
close its beak again. Always push
food down on the right side of a
tawny's mouth as it will go
directly into its crop this way. Be
careful of the oesophagus so as
not block it.
Always weigh the bird after a
feed so as to monitor how much
the bird is eating. You should aim
at getting 10-14g into them daily.
It is important what time you
choose to feed your adult bird in
care as they are nocturnal and
normally sleep in the day and are
active at night with this in mind
you should look at feeding them
minimum of two feeds a day at 5-
7g of food per feed a dawn
feeding and dusk feeding but if
only getting 2g a feed into them
then 8-10 feeds is necessary per
day.
Watch this wonderful video by David Joyce showing him feeding his
four tawny frogmouths who were in care at the time, you will hear the
tawny's calling for food. Click here
http://wildliferescuemagazine.com/tawny-video---feeding.html
Capturing a Tawny Frogmouth is
a relatively simple task
and would not require
more than two people.
During the day time
when the bird is
roosting they will sit
quietly as they are
approached. Even in
the wild, Tawny
Frogmouths will move
little when a human
approaches their
position.
There are several methods of
capturing a Tawny
Frogmouth.
1. The rst is the
simplest, but can be the
most traumatic for the
bird. It involves
slipping a net over the
bird while it is roosting
on a perch. This allows
the keeper to gain a
greater degree of
control over the bird.
By gently moving the net
to the ground and orientating the bird
so that it is facing away to avoid being
bitten, the keeper can place both
hands around the birds mid section in
what is known as the two-handed grip.
This grip is achieved by rmly but
gently grasping the bird with the
hands being placed either side so that
the wings are held against the birds
body by the keepers palms. The
thumbs should be placed on the birds
backbone at the level of the scapulae
or shoulder and the ngers curled
around the breast and abdomen, with
the legs tucked up against the
underside of the bird. The two-handed
grip allows the keeper complete
control over the wings and allows for
relative ease of examination, however
if the keepers grip is too tight, it will
constrict the birds breathing and
suffocate it.
2. The other method of capture is
simpler, quicker and less traumatic for
the bird. It involves approaching the
bird from behind and slowly but rmly
applying the two-handed grip directly
to the bird while it is roosting. In my
experience I have found that Tawny
Frogmouths will rarely resist this
method and it can be readily employed
should the need arise.
RESTRAINT OF A BIRD FOR
WEIGHING AND
EXAMINATION
The best way that I have ever
come across is the towel method.
The Tawny
Frogmouth likes to
perch backwards not
frontwards so if you
go to put them on a
perch put them on
backwards watch
the tail.
Lay a towel out at roll about
three tight rolls on the longest length
(this will be a shelf under the head of
the bird)
The rolled edge should go over
the box and down so that the bird is
captured so its head is in the position
of the rolled edge.
Fold the towel rmly around the
bird so that the head is poking up but
because of the rolled edge the bird is
unable to bite if it wanted to.
When performing a physical
examination, the two-handed grip
allows for the greatest degree of
control over the bird. The ease of
application of the two-handed grip
also makes it ideal for this purpose.
When examining the interior of the
mouth of a Tawny Frogmouth one
only needs to stroke the bristles above
the birds beak. At this action a Tawny
To watch the restraint of the bird
done by a wonderful vet Dr Ross
Perry who teaches this technique
by video please click here
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=16ZIJHdjO8E&feature=plcp
Releasing the bird from the
restraint is also important and
again is shown by a vet named Dr
Ross Perry to view please click here
v=yo_F89Qxnnc&feature=plcp
Frogmouth will always tilt its head
back and gape widely. In some cases
Tawny Frogmouths will not need any
form of restraint to perform a weight
measurement.
They can simply be sat on the
scales and the measurement read.
However this should not be taken as a
given rule for these birds and it is quite
possible that restraint will be required.
The simplest and most stress free
method of restraining a Tawny
Frogmouth for a weight measurement
is to have a narrow towel that can be
wrapped around the bird in such a way
that it performs the same role as the
two-handed grip.
One must ensure that the towel is
rm enough to restrain the birds
wings but not so tight as to restrict
breathing or cause discomfort. The
bird should be continually observed
for open mouth panting which can
indicate that it is having difculty
breathing.
RELEASE
When releasing a Tawny
Frogmouth into an enclosure it is
important to ensure that the bird has a
clear ight path with no immediate
obstacles. Release should take place in
the late afternoon just before dusk.
Being nocturnal, release at dusk will
give the bird a full night to y around
and become accustomed to its new
enclosure.
When the transport box
Taking the bird to an avian vet is
essential there is a rule-of-
thumb known in the avian
community if your bird has a
break of the wing in the main
bone called the humorous or in
the radius if it is a nger width
(5mm) from the bone it is
perhaps repairable any break
less then this is not considered
repairable because of how fast
the bone/joint calcies the
bird would need to be
euphanased.
Calcication of the joint means
the bird is unable to y.
containing a Tawny Frogmouth is
placed into the enclosure it should be
opened from behind, so that the bird
does not see any people and has a clear
view of the majority of the enclosure.
One should not attempt to remove the
bird from the box, instead allowing it
to leave freely when it is ready to do
so.
DAILY HEALTH CHECKS
It is imperative to make
observations of the wellbeing of
captive Tawny Frogmouths on a daily
basis, be it during feeding and\or
cleaning procedures. One should
always be aware of the alertness and
posture of these birds. Wings should
be neatly tucked away as with any
roosting bird and they should be in
their classic, erect form, or eagerly
awaiting feeding with vivid eyes.
In some cases Tawny Frogmouths
will refuse food for short periods if the
climatic conditions are colder than
normal.
This is however nothing to be
concerned about so long as they do
not refuse to feed for more than two
days in a row. During cold conditions
Tawny Frogmouths can place
themselves in a temporary state of
torpor which results in a slowed
metabolic rate.
This state however, normally only
lasts during the night and early
morning where it is coldest. Therefore
it is advisable, when housing Tawny
Frogmouths outdoors, to feed them
later in the day during the colder
months of the year
The feathers of Tawny
Frogmouths are capable of insulating
them from the cold and are
waterproof. Therefore as with all
birds, their feather condition is of vital
importance, particularly if they are
being housed outdoors where they are
exposed to changing climatic
conditions.
Included in daily checks should be
a brief examination of the beak
condition. Injuries to the beak must be
identied and treated seriously and
immediately. In most cases beak
damage will heal without
complications, however if left
Tawny frogmouth Photo by David Joyce Tawny frogmouth Photo by David Joyce
Tawny frogmouth Photo by David Joyce
untreated, the healing process may
result in deformities in the shape of
the beak. These may result in an
inability of the beak to close or
function correctly. The interior of the
beak should also be examined. Tawny
Frogmouths can readily be hand fed
by holding the food above their head.
They will open their gape wide
allowing keepers to see their mouth
easily. It should appear yellow to
orange and clean, with no accumulated
residues. The bottom interior and
throat should also be moist.
Drying out and the build up of
residues from its food can occur if the
beak has been damaged and is unable
to close correctly. For individuals
working with Tawny Frogmouths it is
important to know the temperament
of each individual bird where possible.
This will allow any subtle changes
in their behaviour that could have
been caused by environment or illness
to be observed and recorded. In
addition, examination of the faeces of
these birds for any obvious signs of
blood or abnormalities in consistency
should be conducted.
Feather condition across the birds
body should be examined for any
abnormalities in condition. Particular
attention should be paid to the tail
feathers which are prone to damage if
the birds roost on or near the ground.
Damage to the tail feathers can
adversely affect a Tawny Frogmouths
ability to y, which could result
injuring itself if startled. Furthermore
if the tail feathers are damage, it is
often an indicator that that particular
bird is currently unable to y and
measures should be taken to house it
in a way that will minimise damage to
these feathers. An examination for at
ies should be conducted as these
parasites live within the feathers of
many birds of prey including Tawny
Frogmouths.
The underside of the tail feathers
and the downy feathers around the
vent should be clean and free of faecal
build up. All of the feathers on the
wings, dorsal and ventral sections of
the bird should overlap neatly to cover
the birds whole body.
Furthermore when sprayed with a
ne mist of water, the droplets should
bead off the feathers as though there
were coated in a layer of oil. This
aspect of the Tawny Frogmouths
feathers is necessary if they are to be
In a big ight aviary add garden
solar lights moths are attracted
to these and the tawnys will feast
on the moths. You will know if
your birds are eating moths in the
aviary as you will see white
powder from the moth in the
mouth of the bird or sometimes
even dirt.
Unusually in tawny frogmouths,
most of the leg is hidden under
feathers, protecting the legs from
insect bites that can cause such
terrible illness in other birds.
(Avian Pox)
Tawny frogmouths rarely use their
feet for walking. They use then to
sit and pounce, although they can
shufe along on branches and on
the ground but will usually only
take a few steps. Their lives
revolve around two postures:
sitting or ying. Walking plays a
very marginal role in the life of a
tawny frogmouth.
Excerpt from
Tawny Frogmouth
edited by Gisela Kaplan
housed outside where they will be
exposed to the weather. A lack of
preening by a Tawny Frogmouth can
prevent the powder-down feathers
which are responsible for this
waterproong, from shedding their
particles across the rest of the feathers.
The beak of a Tawny Frogmouth
should be examined closely both on
the exterior and the interior. On the
exterior one should assess if the beak is
capable of closing fully. When closed
fully the maxilla (top) and mandible
(bottom) should t together perfectly
with nothing obstructing it.
As well as this, the beak should be
symmetrical when looking front on. If
the beak has been damaged, it is
common place for abnormal growth to
take place where the outer keratin
sheath has tried to heal.
This may result in obstructions or
deformities, preventing the birds beak
from closing correctly. Such
obstructions can gently be led down
using a naille until the maxilla and
mandible t together correctly.
The mandible itself is not a
continuously solid unit but a triangular
frame over which skin is stretched,
covering its entire width and length.
This area is prone to injury and should
be examined both on the interior and
exterior.
The interior of the beak, mouth
and throat of a Tawny Frogmouth
should be examined thoroughly to
ensure that it remains moist and is free
from any damage and residues. The
build up of residue within the mouth
of a Tawny Frogmouth can have dire
ramications.
This commonly occurs when a
bird cannot close its mouth correctly
and any pieces of food items that
remain are able to dry out and harden,
causing obstruction and infection.
The airway should also be
examined to ensure there are no signs
of damage or obstruction and that
there is not excess production of saliva
or mucus that could be hampering the
Tawny Frogmouths ability to breathe.
A Tawny Frogmouths feet should
be examined carefully to ensure that
they have not been injured. These
birds rely heavily on their feet for
remaining perched on branches even
during the windiest storms.
They have four digits with three
forward and one behind. The feet of a
Tawny Frogmouth are covered by near
equal segments of scales. These are
very pronounced, allowing any injury
to be easily seen.
The soles of the feet should also
be examined to determine if there is
any injury that could prevent the bird
from perching normally.
ROUTINE TREATMENTS
Food should be treated with
calcium powder, particularly if feeding
insects or meat mix which do not
contain a high amount of calcium.
This is of great importance during the
breeding season when females may
have developing eggs.
It is also necessary for the healthy
bone development of young. As well as
this, the addition of bird multivitamin
supplements should be added to the
food, particularly when a Tawny
Frogmouth has been stressed either by
a transfer or injury.
Multivitamins powders such as
Ornithon are important to help bolster
the immune system. Faecal samples
should be collected annually for
analysis for parasites and any diseases.
BEHAVIOUR
Tawny Frogmouths are not the
most active of birds. The vast majority
of their time, even when awake, is
spent perching. This is mostly due to
their hunting strategy of being sit and
wait predators.
Tawny Frogmouths are nocturnal
and during the day will roost in the
classic erect camouage posture as
displayed in the photos.
During the daylight hours, this
posture will be maintained without fail
in most wild Tawny Frogmouths.
However in captivity, due to the
nature of having to feed during the
day, these birds will often abandon this
posture periodically upon the sight of
humans, who they associate with
feeding.
When choosing a roosting site,
Tawny Frogmouths will often attempt
to nd a branch or area where they can
best camouage themselves. This
should be kept in mind when housing
these birds as it would be far less
stressful for them if they are able to
nd a daytime roosting sight in which
they feel comfortable. Night time
roosting behaviour in Tawny
Frogmouths often begins at dusk
where these birds will attempt to nd a
good vantage point several metres
above the ground, from which they
can see prey. By dawn Tawny
Frogmouths will have returned to one
of their daytime roosts. When
perching at night it has been observed
that Tawny Frogmouths will not
bother with adopting the camouage
posture. Instead they sit in a more
hunched fashion peering at the ground
for anything that comes their way.
Although in general these birds are sit
and wait predators, it has become
increasingly common for them to be
seen actively hunting and catching
moths and ying insects which are
attracted to articial light sources in
urban areas.
Tawny Frogmouths do not form
close social groups. In fact in the wild
it is quite rare to see more than two
tawny Frogmouths together. Most
unpaired Tawny Frogmouths are
solitary while those with mates tend to
remain close together or at least within
the same territory. During the colder
months Tawny Frogmouths will from
Tawny frogmouth's have a special
feature of their wings. The
patagium is a very strong and
exible tendon that enables the
bird to stretch the wing and keep
the frontal part of the wing nicely
streched like a sail allowing the
bird to hover.
The underside of the wing is
geneerously equipped with a
special layer of feathers that serves
the sole and important purpose of
absorbing any noise created by air
turbulence. Tawny frogmouths
have an entirely silent ight at
least to the human ear.
Excerpt from
Tawny Frogmouth
edited by Gisela Kaplan
time to time place their bodies into a
temporary state of torpor. This is
often accompanied in captivity with a
disinterest in food for short periods of
time.
This is a trait from the wild in
which the Tawny Frogmouth is trying
to maximise the efciency of existing
energy reserves in a time that is often
associated with a decline in the
amount of available food.
Being mostly solitary, Tawny
Frogmouths display very little social
behaviour in the wild. In captivity,
Tawny Frogmouths housed together
will generally seek out each other and
during the day will often be seen
roosting very close together or even
side by side.
REPRODUCTIVE BEHAVIOUR
Before and during the breeding
season, males and females perform
vocal duets. These are generally a
sequence of calls that alternate
between the male and the female.
Male and female Tawny
Frogmouth pairs will also work
together to build a nest, beginning in
late August to early September.
Once their simple nest has been
constructed both the male and female
take turns to sit on the nest and
incubate the eggs.
In almost all cases, the male will
incubate during the day and the female
will incubate during the night. During
this time the male will enter a state
know as the brooding trance in which
he sits on the nest but does not adopt
and camouage posture.
Furthermore he will be almost
completely unresponsive to any
outside activities or threats. During
this state the pupils of the male will
contract and he will sit completely still
on the nest until dusk when it is time
for the female to take over incubation
duties.
This behaviour almost seems to
invite attack, however remaining
completely motionless during the
daylight hours the male effectively
conceals the presence of either chick
or eggs on the nest, thus helping to
protect the young from harm.
The female behaviour during
incubation is much different from that
of the males. In general she will react
to even the slightest disturbance by
ufng out her feathers in an attempt
to make herself look as large as
possible in an attempt to scare off any
potential predators.
Furthermore the patterns on the
feathers become arranged in the form
of a threat display as she follows the
predator or threat with her eyes.
BATHING
In the wild Tawny Frogmouths
will not actively seek out any form of
water source for the purpose of
drinking or bathing. In fact even when
it rains, most Tawny Frogmouths will
remain in their classic, erect
Headplumes, tufts and bristles. These elaborate adornments around the beak could well
help the bird to prevent venomous live prey from stinging the bird (such as a centipede).
Photo by David Joyce.
camouage posture. However in
captivity I have observed that Tawny
Frogmouths display a fondness for a
ne mist spray, particularly during the
summer months. During these
activities the birds will spread out their
wings to immerse themselves in the
light misty spray.
Tawny Frogmouths are generally
very placid birds in captivity and as
such do not suffer from a great deal of
behavioural problems.
If a Tawny Frogmouth has come
from the wild for whatever reason it
may take time for it to recognise the
food that is being fed.
To help with this, most Tawny
Frogmouths will gape when the
bristles above its beak are stroked, at
which point the food item can be
placed in the birds mouth.
It may take some time for the
Tawny Frogmouth to become used to
this method of feeding but sooner or
later it will come to associate humans
with food and will recognise the
articial foods that are being given to
it.
To view an adorable video of
Tawny Frogmouth chicks in a nest
at Adelaide Zoo click here
v=N-
dgw6_Tkl4&feature=related
We would like to thank David
Joyce for his invaluable advice
and photos.
The majority of information for
this article was taken from a
wonderful manual called:
Husbandry Guidelines for
Tawny Frogmouth by Joshua
Snow Western Sydney
Institute of TAFE, Richmond.
Excerpts were also taken from
a great book called
Tawny Frogmouths
edited by Gisela Kaplan.
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S
ince the arrival of the cane toad
in the Kimberley, Kununurra has
hosted many researchers doing
studies on fauna numbers in the
region.
Some of these projects have
involved radio tracking
reptiles,including lizards and snakes, to
determine their survival rate once the
toads have entered their habitats.
One such project run by the
University of Sydney involved
attaching radio trackers to Blue
Tongue lizards and then following
their movements once they had been
re-released. Many of these lizards were
successfully tracked, but unfortunately
not all of them managed to survive.
A couple of transmitters turned up
in unexpected places, and presented an
interesting problem for the researchers
running these projects.
Whilst searching for some of the
candidates in their projects, two
transmitters were located.inside
snakes!
There was now one large King
Brown and even larger Black Headed
Python that had radio trackers in their
intestines. The transmitters had
survived. The lizards had not.
The snakes, which were now both
Administering anaesthetic to a Black Headed Python
Dr Sarah Brett
Have you seen my transmitter?
emitting radio tracker signals, were
captured by an experienced snake
handler and taken into captivity.
The transmitters had been
attached to the lizards by a
combination of cable ties and shade
cloth or y wire, and there were some
concerns whether or not the snakes
would be able to pass them.
These concerns turned out to be
well founded. After some months in
captivity neither of the snakes were
feeding or passing faeces, and action
needed to be taken.
Kimberley Wildlife Rescue Inc
was contacted by the Dept of
Environment and Conservation, and
asked if we could help them with their
predicament. Of course we were very
keen to help!
Both snakes were presented to us
for examination, and even though they
were slightly underweight, they were
both generally in good health. We
devised a snake anaesthetising cylinder,
and with slight trepidation launched
into removing a radio transmitter from
the belly of two large and beautiful
snakes.
Bill Stewart and his partner
Corrin Everittare are a local couple
that are licenced to breed and capture
reptiles and who both work for the
Dept of Environment and
Conservation. Whilst we all had
cuppas, Corrin watched on nervously
as Bill deftly caught the King Brown
How to anaesthetise a snake. Note the bulge.
and we launched into our rst
operation.
Both snakes were x-rayed before
they were operated on, so that we
could exactly locate their trackers.
Each snake was then prepared for
surgery and had incisions were made
just below the ribs so that the
intestines could be located and the
tracker gently removed. The intestines
were then sutured closed and then the
skin incisions were closed before they
were recovered.
Both surgeries went really well in
the capable hands of Dr Bonny, and I
was given the exciting task of
monitoring the anaesthetic as they
were operated on. Snakes have an
extremely slow respiratory rate which
makes monitoring anaesthetic
somewhat harder than in mammals,
but their heart rates stayed strong
throughout their surgeries, and they
woke up really quickly.
Both snakes were given pain relief
and antibiotics, and our clinic also uses
homeopathic remedies to support the
surgery process as well. These
remedies help to treat the trauma and
stress involved in these surgeries and
really helps to smooth the whole
process.
The great news is that both snakes
have now fed since the surgery, and
have passed faeces, and have had shed
their skins since their operations. They
are still being held in captivity as they
will have to have a few more sheds
before we are sure that their wounds
are completely healed, and that their
intestines are completely recovered
from these signicant surgeries.
There is denitely never a dull
moment in the Kimberley, and we
really never know what we are going
to have to deal with next. We were
thrilled to be able to help these
beautiful creatures and hope that we
will not have to deal with the same
problem again. Cane toads really are a
huge threat to our wildlife, so we are
really glad that these two individuals
are lizards not snakes this time!
Dr Sarah Brett
Kimberley Wildlife Rescue Inc.
Phone 08 9189 1229
Email
Kimberleywildlife@westnet.com.au
A happy outcome The retrieved transmitters
V
O
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E
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BIRD BOOKS
These are just some of the great range of bird books available for
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E
ast Coast Natureworld is seven
kilometres north of Bicheno on
the East Coast of Tasmania. A
must see if you want to enjoy a
relaxing day on 160 acres of parkland.
A beautiful feature of this park is the
amazing sea views available at the
lookout at the end of the park there
is even a track to a secluded beach for
you to enjoy.
Front entry to East Coast Natureworld
Andrea Devos
Welcome to East Coast
Natureworld
Stairs to lookout
Sea view at the lookout
Female tiger snakes Snakes, snakes and more snakes
Another special feature not seen in any of the other parks in Tasmania is the
fabulous snake display such a variety of large healthy snakes, all deadly and a
good variety of tiger snakes.
You can enjoy a cuppa or even a
meal at their lovely cafe, restaurant
which runs all day sit back and take a
look at the paintings on the wall in
their art gallery one amazing
painting - painted by the proprietor
himself hidden within the shades and
shadows of the painting is a large
wedgetail eagle. A painting within a
painting. Shop at their souvenir shop.
A lovely variety of birds: wedgetail
eagles, cockatoos, gang gang, galahs,
masked lovebirds, cockatiels, rainbow
lorikeets, budgies, pheasants, king
parrots, kookaburras, and such a vast
display with even a masked owl.
Large snakes in an enclosure for all to see Art Gallery with an amazing picture hidden within a picture of a wedgetail eagle
The beautiful caf
Kookaburra Kookaburra
Avairy of variety of birds including the masked lovebird, indian ringnecks and more Gang gang
Cockatoo Masked owl
Tasmanian devil Tasmanian devils
Tasmanian devils, wombats and kangaroos are throughout the whole park and the
kangaroos just love a feed.
Tasmanian devils Tasmanian devil
Tasmanian devils Tasmanian devils
Tasmanian devil Tasmanian devil
Pic: 59 Common Wombat
Common wombat
Common wombat
Common wombat Common wombat
Ostrich Emu with ostrich and friend
An ostrich and emus, plus peacocks, cape barren geese, ducks and more, enjoy the
animal farm with happy animals all eager for some free snacks.
Emu and Andrea Devos Peacock
Peacock Peacock being fed
Cape Barren geese Farm animals being fed
Nature walk
If you enjoy nature walks there is plenty to see beautiful walks through an east
coast Dry Schlerophyll Forest we even spotted a tree with sap marks where the
sugar gliders sip their nectar.
Nature walk
Nature walk Education plates are located throughout the park making the walk educational and interesting
Playground
The children are not forgotten with a large playground, underground heritage
mining display from the 1850's, there is even an educational centre with fun
things to do inside using computerised interactive game boards and if that is not
enough the nocturnal house is just great with quolls, possums and more.
Underground heritage mining display Educational drawers in Devil World
Devil World
Animal boxes plus more Nocturnal House has an albino brushtail possum
See a bettong in the Nocturnal House White ring tailed possum in the Nocturnal House
Natureworld aviary
Do you want to see one of the largest avairies in Tasmania not only do you get
to see it you can walk casually through it at your own pace.
Inside the aviary Inside the aviary
Inside the aviary Rainbow Lorikeets inside the aviary
Nestboxes lovely and high in the aviary Pheasant in the aviary
King Parrot in aviary
Mob of kangaroos enjoying the sun
But our all time favourite thing to do at Natureworld was to feed the wonderful
kangaroos who were sweet, gentle and tried to jump into our laps :D
Stephan Devos feeding kangaroos Stephan Devos feeding kangaroos
Stephan Devos feeding kangaroos Stephan Devos feeding kangaroos
Stephan Devos feeding kangaroos White peacock and kagaroo being fed by Stephan Devos
Come and enjoy the East Coast Natureworld
18356 Tasman Highway, Bicheno 03 6375 1311
www.natureworld.com.au
We have some more training sessions scheduled so please read the info below!
If you havent done so already please book in for one of the sessions so you can start
actively getting involved in the program.
The training sessions are run so that our FOC members learn everything to do with
wildlife rescue and transportation and how to make a rescue kit. You MUST attend one
training session before you can help out with animal rescues. This is for your own safety
and the safety of the animals that you are rescuing. We need as many of you trained as
possible to get the program working even more effectively so please try hard to find a
session that suits you and book in.
Every month we have training sessions. (Please note training sessions are all the same
so you are only required to attend one.)
Contact bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary for next training sessions - phone: 03 6268 1184.
The training sessions run for approximately 2 hours 15 minutes and there is no cost
involved. Please bring along a note pad, pen and warm clothes! (This is if you are
coming to an evening session, it can be chilly at Bonorong!)
All sessions are run at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary in the Bush Tucker Shed, or
occasionally we run a session at UTAS usually in the Life Sciences Lecture Theatre in
Sandy Bay. If the course you book in for is at Bonorong then when you arrive at
Bonorong please park your car in the top car park (not the first one you get to) as far up
as possible. The building at the top end of this car park is the bush tucker shed and
there is an access door at the back of the building that people will be able to use when
they arrive. If you choose a UTAS course then you will be given directions about one
week before the date once we have confirmed what room we will be using.
Please RSVP for a training session via return email or by phoning Bonorong on 6268
1184. Children are welcome and you may bring along interested family members or
friends as long as you include them in your RSVP.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!
Visit us at 593 Briggs Road, Brighton, Tasmania 7030
ADVERTISEMENT
Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary
Wildlife Rescue
Training Sessions

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petra@bonorong.com.au
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Email me for the complete range
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All items in stock and ready
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Email Anne-Marie Dineen
anmacropod@bigpond.com
Winner!
Congratulations to the winner of the Readers Choice Story -
Terri Eather won with her great story and pics
Princess Possum in Issue 3.
Your prize is the enchanting book Camp Croc by Catriona Hoy.
Australian Bird
and Wildlife Art
by Janet Flinn
Wildlife Artist, Janet Flinn, paints the colour and character of the Australian birds that visit
her garden and nearby bushland in Glen Waverley, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
The paintings feature Kookaburras, Parrots, Cockatoos, Fairy-wrens, Robins, Raptors and
Owls. Studio visits for viewing paintings are welcome by appointment. Art work may also
be purchased online or commissioned.
Email jpflinn@bigpond.com
Phone 03 9560 5003
Fauna First Aid
The Program
Fauna First Aid is a wildlife lecture
program that Linda established in
2004. The lectures are aimed at wildlife
carers, veterinary nurse students,
schools and community groups.
Fourth Crossing Wildlife is incredibly
proud to announce that the Australian
Geographic Society supports Fauna
First Aid.
Linda could not be more honoured to
receive this support and thanks the
Australian Geographic Society from the
bottom of her heart. The support,
donations and sponsorship from the
Australian Geographic Society will help
Linda teach the public adults and
children alike how to correctly handle
native animals that have been injured or
are in distress which will help prevent
the animal and the handler from being
injured during contact.
If you are interested in learning more
about the Fauna First Aid lectures,
or would like to book a session then
please email Linda at
linda@fourthcrossingwildlife.com.
What to do with a Wiggling Wombat
Linda Dennis is proud to present the two hour course, What to do with a
Wiggling Wombat, a Fauna First Aid lecture.
There are two sessions of "Wiggling Wombat", one for pre-schoolers and one
directed at children in infants and primary school.
Although titled "Wiggling Wombat" the course covers all native animals
including birds, kangaroos, reptiles, koalas and of course wombats!
The course includes the following topics:
What do you do if you come across a wiggling wombat in distress?
How does your mum or dad pick up a wiggling wombat?
What do you feed a wiggling wombat?
In the fun filled program Linda shares stories of some of the
native animals that have been in her care over the 10 years
she's been a wildlife carer.
There was also a "take a wild guess" competition using photographs and the
wonderful native animal soft toys that were donated to the program by the
Australian Geographic Society and Mink Plush (a Division of TomFoolery
Holdings Pty Ltd).
Bookmarks featuring native animals, and chocolate Freddo Frogs, Caramello
Koalas and Fruity Frogs are given as prizes.
During the competition Linda also displayes how to properly handle a native
animal so that the handler and the animal are not injured. She also advises
what the "nasty bits" are in each animal species, such as claws and teeth
(and in the male Platypus case the poisonous spurs!).
The two hour long presentation has the kids transfixed and keen to learn
more. An eight page booklet titled "What to do with a Wiggling Wombat" is
also eagerly received.
This mini-manual, which details correct handling technique, is distributed to
all students for them to take home and share with their families.
The Fauna First Aid program is not only fun for participants but also
educational and in the long run our precious native animals will benefit from
Linda's knowledge sharing.
The more the community knows about rescuing and providing short term
care for native animals the better. And in the end, from a combined
community effort, there will be more animals that are received into care and
rehabilitated by experienced wildlife carers, resulting in more animals being
returned to the bush which is exactly where they belong.
If you would like to book a Fauna First Aid session for your school or
community group please contact Linda at
linda@fourthcrossingwildlife.com.
The inaugural "Wiggling Wombat" at
Trinity Preschool in Orange, NSW
Class photo at Trinity Preschool
Class K12 group photo,
Gum Flat Public School
Fourth Crossing Wildlife is supported and sponsored by the Wildlife Preservation Society of Australia - they do a lot to support my work
Support our sponsors
Janet Flinn
Wildlife Artist
www.janetinn.com
1300 544 249
www.outdoorcameras.com.au
Southern
Wildlife
www.southernwildlife.org
Oakview Nature Refuge
Silicon Teats - Order Today!
anmacropod@bigpond.com
Tasmanian Devil
Conservation Park
www.tasmaniandevilpark.com
Tasmania Zoo
Phone: 03 6396 6100
www.tasmaniazoo.com.au
Tolga Bat Hospital
Atherton Tablelands Queensland
www.tolgabathospital.org
Trowunna
Wildlife Park
www.trowunna.com.au 03 6363 6162
www.wildlifemonitoring.com.au
Bonorong Wildlife Park
03 62681184
www.bonorong.com.au
F.O.C. Bonorong Sanctuary's
Friends of Carers Program
03 6268 1184
www.bonorong.com.au
Order your
business cards here
support wildlife carers
see ad page 4
Elizabeth Cogley
Australian Wildlife Artist
0409 935 135 liz@wildart.com
www.wildart.com
Burston Blue Teats
dollar.downs@bigpond.com
Bruce Bain
Photography
http://brucebainphotography.com.au
Fauna
First
Aid
www.birdkeeper.com.au/
abk-bird-books

au m. o n o r o n o
R U S & 2 )

: V D L Q D P V D 7 J Q L W F H W R

H I L O G O L

Kimberley Wildlife Rescue
08 9189 1229
kimberleywildlife@westnet.com.au
La Trobe
Wildlife Sanctuary
03 9479 1206
nestboxes@latrobe.edu.au
www.MelHillsWildArt.com.au
03 6334 9261
www.robinwingrave.com
Rescued Book
www.fauna.org.au/Rescued.htm
ROBIN WINGRAVE
Natural History Artist
Click the website URL in any
sponsors classified listing to
be taken directly to that
sponsors website for more
information!
http://janinetchdesigns.com/
DPIPWE
www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fox
East Coast
Nature World
www.natureworld.com.au
BIRD BOOKS
www.birdkeeper.com.au/reptile-
shop/reptiles-amphibians-fish-books
REPTILE BOOKS
A Kanga A Day
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brett@brettclifton.com
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From all of us here at Wildlife Rescue
Magazine we say goodbye and thank
you for reading our fourth issue of our
exciting new wildlife magazine!
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Wombats FEATURE!

Tawny Frogmouths FEATURE!

Glen Burston is the creator of

Wildlife Rescue Magazine www.wildliferescuemagazine.com June 2012 v1n4 Page 67

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